Too Late
by FallArbor
Summary: Sakura, don't you know? It's never too late...
1. Prologue

This is written in a strange style, even for me; the point of view changes aren't marked per se, but each time there is one of these " -- " it means a change of some sort. This is a narusaku, regardless of how it starts, and there will be some ooc because I'm not a good enough writer to portray them nearly accurately enough. I'll try though, to be faithful enough. Also, I try to write the Romanized Japanese words as they would be pronounced, so Jonin will be Jounin, Chuunin will be Chunin, et cetera.

If tons of you have a problem, drop me a line and I'll change it.

Remember:

_Italics_- thought

**Bold**- Any inner entity, Kyuubi or Sakura.

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.

Prologue

The bitter tears fell unbidden, coalescing with the silent raindrops trickling through her rosette hair onto the limp body held before her. The verdigris canopy, soaked with blood, _his_ blood, limply mourned in the scarring after effects of the epic battle taken place mere moments before.

This was not how it was meant to be.

"Naruto…" She murmured, unable to tear her gaze away from the gaping hole slowly bubbling out his blood.

_No_

_Not now_

She replayed the incident again in her mind, coming to terms with nothing except the fresh shock that it was _her_ fault; and nothing would ever change it.

--

"Already bringing out the 2nd level, Sasuke-_kun_" He smirked, coughing blood into his hands.

"Dobe, I have a timeframe to keep." The aggressor sighed, disappearing in a flash.

Time slowed for Naruto, as his plan had finally come to full circle. This was where it _ended_.

"You should have used the fox's chakra, idiot" He heard float past his head, as he parried a crushing blow. "Maybe then you would have stood a chance." The Uchiha finished, his fist deep in Naruto's stomach.

"Heh"

Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing the real one behind his _brother_'s back.

Naruto quickly got him into an arm lock, grinning.

"Sasuke….this….is where it ends" He struggled. "Sakura-chan, now!"

The pink haired kunoichi was there in an instant, kunai clutched in both hands.

"Ah…Sakura-_chan_…nice of you to show up" Sasuke smirked

A stagnant pause, the criticality of the situation momentarily forgotten in all parties.

"Do it" He continued, grinning.

The momentary pause, _the silence_, echoed louder than the clattering kunai that tumbled to the ground.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto sighed, defeat cracking his voice.

Sasuke backflipped, kicking Naruto in the chest, knocking the wind out of the Uzumaki and sending him into a charred tree. He glanced down at Sakura, his Sharingan paralyzing her in fear.

_What have I done…_

He turned around, tainted electricity racing down his arm into his gray palm.

"Tsk tsk Naruto, I told you to use that fox."

He turned to face her, ambling slowly….

Slowly…

"Sakura-ch—"

She heard his grim laughter cut off after she turned away; a sickening squelch echoing in the distance. Burning flesh began to waft its way around her, and she passed out.

--

Shaking the memories out of her head, she focused on the task at hand.

_You aren't dying on me yet, Uzumaki_

This became her mantra as she poured her chakra into his barely living body, repeating it over and over again as if to assure the body as well as herself.

Seconds turned to minutes.

Minutes to hours.

Hours to _exhaustion_. She collapsed upon the broken boy, tears and salt coating her grimy face; her eyes coming to rest upon his still head.

_Blond…_

_Beige…_

_Whiskers…_

_Blue?_

"Sak—"

And all was black…

--

"Saku—"

Darkness…

"ra?"

Her clouded eyes squinted open, allowing only the barest hint of light to enter.

_Blonde…._

_Naruto?!_

She shot up, embracing the surprised person tightly.

"Naruto!"

"Sakura…" Tsunade held her loosely, looking slightly abashed.

_Tsunade-sensei…_

"Gomen Tsunade-sensei, I….mistook you for someone else"

"No kidding" She shook her head, leaning back and taking an all to serious sigh.

"Tsunade-sensei, how did I _get_ here?" Sakura leaned back in her hospital bed, absorbing her surroundings for the first time.

Her eyes were still adjusting to the sheer _whiteness_ that is standard of hospital rooms. White flowers, white walls, white televisions, white pillows, white sheets, white uniforms. She'd definitely make a complaint once she figured out what on earth she was doing there.

"Sensei, Naruto…he…is he?"

"He's in the room next to ours, Sakura…Alive, healthy, but…resting."

"Who found us? How did we get here?" Sakura pressed onwards.

"Found you? Sakura…Naruto-kun carried you here on his back…" She sighed, getting up.

_Baka…_

"You're cleared to go, Sakura" Tsunade yawned, already at the door. "I want a full report on what happened on my desk by next week."

"Hai…sensei"

--

Naruto chuckled lightly, stretching his back out.

_So she still hasn't gotten over him…after all these years. What's it been now, 6, 7? We've already killed Kabuto, Karen, hell, everyone but him, and she still hasn't…passed…that love._

He couldn't help but smile. Its not that he had become a sadist, merely his only way of dealing with pain since birth was laughter. The brief hope that maybe it could be better didn't exist for him because all he knew was let down; be it by the hands of enemies or friends.

He had a depressingly easy time getting over the fact he had been stabbed through the chest…again…by his 'brother', as a result of his love interest's never quenched desires.

_Well, that's life…saving her life from the man she loves._

He sat up, stretching out his arms and legs.

_The hag'll get over it_

With that profound last thought, he leapt out his open window into the cool breeze. Being a loner most of his life, he grew to respect the fresh breeze that blew in from the forest; With so little to appreciate, why not?

Landing deftly on a tree branch, he enjoyed the cool shadow cast by it. He dragged his gaze across the horizon, across all the territory he swore he'd protect. Now, as a Chunin. Tommorrow…

_Hokage_

His eyes scraped across the sheer rock wall with the previous Hokages staring steadfast into the sun.

_That is true immortality, no jutsu could ever replace the feelings caused by these people. _

Naruto glanced down at the people, bustling about the town square worrying only about tomorrow night's dinner.

"You were wrong, Orochimaru…"

He sat down in a meditative position, thinking about his path in life. His goal, _dream_, of becoming the greatest.

_What does that really mean? People like Itachi…Orochimaru…Sasuke. They obtained power for greatness. People like the third…_

He shook his head, grinning at the memory of the old man.

_He was the only one I'd ever consider great._

He shrugged off those serious thoughts in light of a newer, more…primal urge. The only thing that would come in between him and thoughts of his ream was the third most meaningful thing in his life.

Ramen, Ramen, Ramen.

"Ahhh, I haven't had any in forever!" He jumped down, dashing to Ichiraku's.

--

"Naruto?" Sakura blinked, clearing her emerald eyes as she surveyed the empty room.

"Sensei said this was the room…was she mistak-" She stopped as she spotted an orange and blue jacket strewn carelessly on a chair.

_Yeah, it's his room!_ She frowned.

**Careless bastard!**

Fin

Author's Corner: I don't know if that's too short for you guys, but it took a lot of thought to write it. Tell me where you guys want it to go, aye?

Cheers,

FallArbor


	2. Chapter 1: Introspection

Hey again. Umm, I'm sorry if I confused you, I misspelled Karin as Karen, which is just a goof on my part. I'm no good at proofreading, I skim even then. You can probably tell, my writing loses quality basically every paragraph, for which I apologize.

Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, if theres anything you want changed, shoot. I pride myself on gud speeling, so that shudnt be a problem…

The format, by the way, always baffles me-so it looks clumped. I'll try to fix it.

Remember:

**Bold- **Inner beings

_Italics-_ Thoughts

Anyway.

Chapter 1-

Dashing through the bustling throngs had become a near second nature to the orange clad shinobi, weaving in and out expertly between shopping housewives and bored kids.

_It's kind of odd to consider that two days ago I had a hole in my chest the size of a football _

He came grinding to a halt in front of Ichiraku's, smiling broadly at the prospect of some ramen. He had been enjoying the unique taste of Ichiraku's ramen for years, experimenting with the hundreds of possible combinations: Miso, pork, even chicken when he really craved it.

Yes this was heaven for the budding Uzumaki, his safe haven from all the bad things in the world.

He took a seat at the counter, inhaling deeply the scent of broth.

"Oi, Old man—oh. Hiya, Ayame-chan" Naruto grinned, using the honorific upon seeing her happy face.

"Naruto-kun, its so nice to see you!" She began, giggling. "I heard you were critically hurt. Dad was freaking out that he'd lose his best customer"

There was an unspoken fatherly affection for Naruto that Teuchi seemed to exude; neither gave it much thought, but the familiarity often gave them a very paternal relationship.

Naruto, being the slightly dense person that he is, always seems to say the most awkward thing anyway.

"Heh, I'll make sure to leave him in my will." he grimly acknowledged, half facetious.

Ayame deadpanned, quickly shaking her head with a frown.

"Oh, don't joke like that, we'd both miss you too much to accept your money."

"That's probably good 'cause I doubt I'll have any by the time I kick the bucket anyway" He laughed, resting his head in his hands.

Ayame just watched him for a moment, blushing lightly. The boy had been supporting their business for years, always quick with a joke or a compliment.

_Naruto-kun…_

She was shocked he was still single, though, remarkably happy for it. More and more often he'd unknowingly turn heads, whether it was because of his talent in the sparring grounds or just his overall physique. There weren't many blonds, after all…

"So, what'll it be? You seem to be in a Miso mood tonight."

"You read my mind, Ayame-chan, Miso sounds great!"

She quickly began her work, preparing the necessary ingredients, putting extra care to make sure everything was right. Only the choicest Miso was used, with the freshest broth and vegetables.

Naruto watched her lithe hands move, almost like a culinary dance; entranced, he continued watching, not noticing the figure slowly stumbling it's way behind his back.

For the first time in his life, it wasn't Sakura that was catching his eye. Whether that was good or bad he couldn't tell.

"Na- Naruto-kun?" He heard behind him, swinging around only to see his female Hyuuga contemporary. He took a decidedly brief moment to gauge her, for once noticing her as a woman rather than a cohort. She was certainly….

_Well…developed_.

He shook his head wildly, getting rid of stray thoughts of the sort.

_Hinata-chan is way too nice to think of her like that…_

"Ack, Hinata-chan, ya scared me!" He laughed, patting the seat next to his. "Wanna eat with me? I could use the company!"

"O-okay" The pretty Hyuuga took a seat next to him, trying to overcome her morbid fear of talking to him.

Overhearing the conversation, Ayame called back to them,

"Miso ramen too?"

"Um…okay" She mumbled, hoping Ayame heard.

_What did that mean? All it sounded like was a sigh...whatever, she'll love the miso._

She whipped around with the two bowls, placing the bowls down delicately.

"Enjoy!" She winked, turning back around to clean up.

"Thanks Ayame-chan, say hi to the old man when you see him."

"No problem Naruto-kun." She smiled, appreciative of the considerate boy.

With his customary "Itidakimasu!" he dug into his bowl with the rabid fervor he was known for, leaving Hinata abashed by his side, picking at her food cautiously.

--

"_Itidakimasu!"_

_Figures, I should have known he'd be getting ramen._

Sakura grimaced, ready to give the Jinchuuriki the pounding of a lifetime. She slowly made her way towards the little ramen stand, perfecting what she was going to say.

Her words, however, got caught in the lump that had just formed in her throat, aching to escape but incapacitated by her sudden rush of emotion.

There, right in front of her, was Naruto laughing with Hinata while Ayame was staring intently at Naruto from the back.

_What's going on here?_

She shook off whatever emotion she was unable to cope with and walked straight up to them, remaining unbearably silent.

"Umm…Hi, Sakura-san" Hinata murmered, looking up at her pink haired 'rival' for Naruto's affections.

Sakura began to open her mouth in hopes of her subconscious taking over the dialogue for her, but was interrupted by her former teammate.

"Hey, Sakura. "

The lack of the honorific spoke paragraphs more than his little sentence did, though she didn't totally register quite what it implicated.

"Hey!" She managed to sputter out finally, perhaps a bit too loud.

"We're having some Ramen!" Naruto shouted, quite the captain obvious.

"I see…" Sakura laughed, scratching her head nervously.

"You want anything?" Ayame asked from behind the counter, smiling almost bitterly.

_Is it just me, or is there some sort of tension here…_ Sakura thought frantically.

"Umm, I was just here to yell at Naruto, really" She turned back to the orange shinobi. "You aren't cleared to leave the hospital until a week from now, Naruto, what are you thinking?!"

Sakura felt slightly worse about this than normally, though…she couldn't pinpoint as to _why._

**BAKA!**

_This is normal for Naruto, why do you care so much now?_

**Me caring is the same as you caring…**

"Umm…I'm not…err….wasn't?" He tried, smiling lightly as he saw his other companions giggle at his answer.

The wrong answer, as it turns out.

In a flash, Sakura was inches away, heaving him bodily into her arms preparing to see how far she could throw him.

"Sakura! How will _throwing_ me help me get _better_ so I can leave the hospital legally?!" He yelled, comically waving his hands as though could flounder away like a gasping fish.

Considering the logic in this, she held him high, enjoying the other two girls' expressions as much as his priceless face.

"I thought you felt healthy!" She return, grinning up at him.

"Umm, I do, but…uh" Naruto tried to finish, but he was chucked heavily into the air before he could end the thought.

_At least she didn't punch me_

He sighed as he flipped in the air, landing silently on the roof of the building opposite.

"Sheesh Sakura, you're getting lazy on me. Last year and I'd have been face first through the wall!" He called back, laughing.

"You wanna test just how _soft_ I've become?" She yelled back at him, waving her fist menacingly, expecting him to fold under the pressure of her timeless threat. The answer she got, however, was something that had _never_ happened to her in her life.

Naruto stood up for himself.

"Haha Sakura, you're too late."

Deflated, she remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate.

_What does…that mean._

"I guess when I think about it, you've been too late for a long time."

With that, he jumped back down, throwing the appropriate money for his and Hinata's meal onto the table.

"What does that mean?" Sakura persisted.

"Its just a little joke, I guess." He grinned, walking away and silently laughing to himself

_Hehe, _feel _her. Like I said…too late…_

His jovial face dropped as he turned the corner, revealing only his wicked determination. He was tired of his dreams being taken from him, or being stabbed into his chest paired with lightning and repeatedly lost love.

Of course, it was in his nindo to make her happy; his ninja way dictated that he do whatever he could for Konoha's citizens. If that means giving up on her, so be it.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I'll never be in your way again. You're all his…"

--

Sakura was naturally an intelligent girl, always ready for any intellectual challenge presented to her. The _problem_ with this is that her current conundrum wasn't anything logical at all, so wrapping her brain around the situation only confused her.

_I need to talk to Ino-pig…_

--

The bells jingled happily above the door, alerting the blond haired kunoichi of someone's arrival. Her bored eyes glanced upwards and widened; it was a rare occurrence to see the youngest Haruno in the shop. It was even rarer to see her so confused.

"Hey billboard-br—"

"Cut the crap, Ino, please…"

Ino took time in considering her next sentence. She could remain sarcastic and possibly wreck the last fugues of their relationship, or maybe…just maybe…try to help.

"Wow, Sakura, what's the deal?" Ino asked, azure worry painted in her eyes.

"I…don't know." She answered truthfully, wondering the same thing herself.

"Well…Start from the beginning. What started all of this?" She began, tapping her chin lightly. "Was it the mission? What happened, I've been dying to know?"

"The mission…" Sakura looked away, her emerald eyes glazing over in memory.

"Sasuke got him in the chest with the Chidori…" Sakura muttered.

"Sasuke-_kun_ did it again? Poor Naruto, he never was as good as that Uchiha…" Ino emphasized the honorific, hoping Sakura would catch the "mistake."

She didn't.

And Ino didn't seem surprised in the slightest.

"But…" Sakura sighed.

"But…" Ino lightly repeated.

"He had a plan."

She regarded the plan in hindsight, and realized the simple brilliance of it.

_I was the key to it all…and I let him down…_

"I guess it didn't work out, huh?" Ino sighed, knowing Naruto wasn't the brightest tool in the shed.

"It would have…if I were stronger…"

_Full circle…First I'm not strong enough for Sasuke…now…Naruto-kun…_

"Stronger…Sakura, you crush boulders with your fingers. I'm pretty sure—"

"Not like that!" Sakura cut her off harshly. " He had Sasuke in a pin…I was supposed to finish him…"

"Oh…" Ino carefully thought out how she was going to continue. "So…you think it's your fault…"

"Yeah…" She sighed "But…today it really hit me how _he_ might have taken it. He told me 'It's too late,'"

"Ouch…"

"Yeah…'It's been too late for a long time' "

"Maybe…he's finally gotten over you…" Ino tried the obvious approach.

"I figured that…" Sakura replied, sounding less than ecstatic.

"Aren't you happy about it? He's been bugging you for years…"

"Yeah…bugging me…"

_Right? _

**Yeah, that gaki always got on my nerves**

_Yeah…He has…I guess…_

**He doesn't look as bad as he used to though…**

Sakura rid herself of the thoughts, and just nodded along in silent agreement.

"So what's the problem, then, Haruno?" Ino laughed.

"I'll tell you when I figure it out…" Sakura muttered, swiftly exiting the Yamanaka flower shop.

-- Fin --

A.C.: The lack or addition of honorifics were ENTIRELY intentional, so umm…totally. I don't want to promise you guys updates as rapid as this one, but I hope that at least every four or five days at maximum. Stuff happens though, so…bear with me. Please?

By the way, thank you for your wonderful reviews. Thank you so much to reader33, I always felt my writing was too concise, but adding more introspection helped add to the word count. It still feels choppy, but I hope I'm getting the hang of it.

And about telling how it lead up to this, I'm hoping to hint throughout this via flashbacks and comments by random characters. Umm…constructive criticism means a lot to me, so…help if you want the story to be better. Yet again, thanks guys.

I try to proofread these things, but I'm pretty awful at catching my own mistakes. Umm, anyone who wants to beta, put it in a review with your email and I'll send you the chapter if I think you'll do a good job.

Cheers,

Fallarbor.


	3. Chapter 2: Who said it?

Umm, my email thing just got revamped on me, so all my old emails got erased. Someone's might have gotten caught there. If you want to beta, just email me (email's in my profile).

And about the whole honorific confusion, its just that Sakura didn't use Sasuke-_kun_, and she tried to remind her of that by stressing it herself. And the fact that Naruto _didn't_ use the honorific around her shows that he's willing to give up on her for her happiness, even though when talking to himself he hasn't really let her go.

And umm…the whole other people crushing on him really only extends on to the realistic people that could…namely hinata and I figured ayame just cause it made the story flow better.

Chapter 2-

Naruto woke up to the sounds of birds chirping happily outside his window and a face full of plaster. Blowing his goldenrod hair out of his eyes, he scraped the offending ceiling tile off of his head and absorbed the light tiredly. The clock read 11:33, and it flickered as it struggled against its age. He observed his room from the bed, taking off his sleeping cap with a broad yawning stretch. His orange clothes lay strewn about as if a hurricane hit, and the cracked walls groaned under the enormous weight of the roof as if begging for release. He estimated it had been doing that for about a year, sagging lower and lower at the corners, except this was the first instance of actual decay on the ceiling.

_How embarrassing will it be when they find out the great Uzumaki Naruto was killed by his roof when he was sleeping?_

He frowned, wondering about how he should fix the problem. Sure, it's been like this for years, but he sure as hell wasn't going to accept being crushed when he was already well on his way to accomplishing his dream. He was a Chunin, and he knew he was being considered for an increase of rank. There was a shortage of accomplished shinobi such as himself in the village, ever since the Sound war.

_Maybe Baa-chan can get it repaired…_

He donned his charcoal undershoot and orange pants, jumping on to his window sill. Deciding it was too warm for his jacket, he leapt out his window on to the ground below, landing with a dull thud on the rusty earth.

"Narutooooo!"

Naruto's ears perked up at the calling of his name.

"Huh?" He looked up and saw Rock Lee jogging towards him, in all his verdant glory. "Oh, hiya fuzzy brows!"

Lee frowned at his nickname, but quickly washed it away with a challenge;

"I was just wondering" He grinned, eyes shining with determination "If you'd like to spar later on. You told me a few days ago that you'd like to increase your speed."

Naruto thought back to his battle with Sasuke, and realized that if he did possess even half the speed Lee had, then he'd stand a much better shot at an actual _victory_.

"Hmmm….Well, fuzzy brows, I'll be sure to take you up on that offer" He grinned "Later."

With that, he shot down the village pathways to the Hokage's Tower, leaving Lee smiling to himself.

"He doesn't need train as hard as he thinks…"

--

"…So I really just can't find the time." Tsuande sighed, clearing her desk with a massive swipe. "Consider this a vacation."

"Vacation? Do ninjas really _get_ vacations?" Sakura muttered, exasperated.

"Yes! Yes they do, everyone _except_ the Hokage gets a vacation, so calm down. This is _yours_."

**She just doesn't feel like teaching me right now, shannaro!**

"Hai…Sensei"

She slowly made her way out of the room, thinking about the implications of what had just occurred.

_I'm….FREE!_

**More time to do what I like!**

She began to run down the halls, and felt her feet slide just a _little_ too far, sending her careening into a wall.

_This is something Naruto-kun would do! _She reprimanded herself, bracing for the impact that never came.

She slid gracelessly into Naruto's arms, losing her grip on the floor as well as her dignity.

"Haha, watch where your step there, Sakura!"

"T-Thanks…" She stuttered, recomposing herself. She glanced up at his eyes, trying to read the emotion flecked within them. There was nothing out of the ordinary, just the constant _mask_ he put up.

She continued running away, mortified for reasons she couldn't come close to comprehending. He sighed and continued to the Hokage's office, shaking off the experience.

He saw her slumped on her desk, papers strewn about everywhere;

_Yeah…probably not a good time…_

Steeling himself, he walked in.

"Tsunade-sama?" He asked, realizing that with the right tact, he might just make it out of there with both his arms still attached and maybe a newly repaired house.

"Who—Wha? Naruto?!" Tsunade shook her head, disbelieving what she heard from the boy ahead of her.

In a flash, she was next to him, kicking him into the wall with a resounding crack.

"Who are you?!" She shouted, fury leaking from every pore in her body.

"BAA-CHAN, IT'S ME. I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU FOR SOMETHING!"

Looking abashed for a moment, she scrutinized him looking for some _mistake._ Eventually concluding it was indeed him, she sighed deeply and walked back to her desk.

"Figures…I don't regret what I just did, you know. You deserve it."

"Oh, _thanks_" He sighed, sarcastically. Dusting himself off, he walked to her desk as she took a seat.

"What can I do you for, Naruto?"

"Baa-chan, I think my apartment is going to collapse. It's been groaning and cracking a lot, and I think it would be very _unbecoming_ of a shinobi to die by being crushed by his own roof."

"What do you want me to do about it? I'm a busy woman…"

"Can you get someone to look at it?" his eyes shined reproachfully

"Well I suppose I could…"

"I sense a 'but' coming…"

"You'd have to stay somewhere else—contracting requires a lot of time and lack of…disturbance."

Almost ready to argue the point, he realized he was getting off easy.

"I can't afford to stay in any of these hotels on a long term basis, you know…" He complained, frowning.

"Not my problem, kiddo, make some friends."

He groaned and sat up, pondering as to what his next course of action is.

_Well…tonight _is_ bar night with the rest of the 9, maybe I can ask there…_

"Arigatou….Baa-chan"

Without letting her stew over the disrespect, he dashed out the door into the hallway.

_She's gonna kill me one day…_ He thought idly, walking away.

"That gaki is so dead one of these days…" Tsunade slumped on her desk.

--

Sakura sat twiddling her thumbs in one of the higher branches of her favorite 'thinking tree'. For a ninja, life is _boring_ when you're not out hunting or protecting someone.

"Saaaakura!"

She turned towards the source of the outburst, only to see her blonde friend jumping up and down like an excited puppy.

"Yeah?!" Sakura called down to her contemporary. "Whatcha want, huh?"

She hopped down, landing skillfully.

"Do you wanna come with us to bar night tonight? You barely ever come…" Ino pleaded.

"I don't know…" Sakura shifted uncomfortably.

"Look forehead, I'm asking this for _your_ sake. Plus, Naruto's coming for once, I think he's finally interested in girls besides you; " She took a long breath "And…Maybe this is your chance to hang out with someone without having him fawn over you…"

Dumbfounded, Sakura just looked on.

_What is THAT supposed to mean…since when has he 'fawned' over me. Well…scratch that, I suppose he did…_

**It wasn't that bad!**

_Plus, he _will_ be there…_

"Fine, I'll come, Ms. Piggy." Sakura winked, "When and where?"

_Heh, as soon as I mention Naruto she says yes…_

"The bar on main street close to that basket weaving shop." Ino smiled "7:00, forehead"

With that, she vanished with a puff of smoke.

_Yeesh, whatever happened to goodbyes anymore, huh?_

Sakura shook her head and walked to her house, preparing herself for an awkward night.

--

Twilight was beginning to descend on Konoha, as the blazing sun began to droop slightly in the western sky and dribbles of marigold honey leaked out of the periwinkle horizon like the gaping maw of a bear.

Naruto had taken his essentials out of the house and put them in a knapsack which was currently slung unceremoniously over his back. A few trinkets, his wallet, a watch, and a spare of clothes was all he needed, after all, he didn't want to impose.

_7:00, huh?_

He jumped into the nearby tree, taking out his watch from the sack.

_I've got half an hour, time to…relax_

He stretched out on his natural bench, letting the soft glow of dusk wash over him. Twirling a kunai in his hand, he reflected over the land he was surveying; A land he swore to protect and hopefully would officially get the job eventually.

Growing up with such an unsupportive environment as his, dreams and goals became his only reality. Protecting his people so he might gain acceptance for what he truly was (or wished to be):

_A hero…that's what I'm going to be._

--

_Black shorts…red shirt…_ Sakura sifted through her drawers. _Do I look too plain?_

**You're gorgeous, shannaro!**

She smiled at her reflection, deciding her everyday outfit would turn enough heads. With her grin confident and her eyes glittering, she began her walk to the bar to…socialize.

_My life at the hospital didn't leave much time for my friends…_

The Sun had finally set the horizon ablaze, leaving only small wisps of light peeking out through the thick underbrush of the forest surrounding Konoha. Stars began to poke through the velvety night, leaving pinpricks of light twinkling dutifully in the thick air hanging above the ninja village.

Sakura walked tentatively towards the bar, unsure of what she really _wanted_ from it. Was it just to see her friends…

_Or to see Naruto…?_

**Or to keep all those sluts away from him!**

Deciding it wasn't a nice thing to think, she ignored that irritable part of her mind and found herself at the door of the bar, seeing most of her friends jostling in the back.

Maneuvering herself through the crowds, she was disappointed to see a distinct lack of orange.

"Welcome, Sakura-chan!" Lee laughed, pulling her into a slightly intoxicated hug.

The rest of the group greeted her in a similar manner, happy to see their friend for once in public rather than bloody and beaten in a mission.

"Hi…Sakura-san" Hinata tried to smile, but her face wasn't in the mood.

"…Hey…"

**Kill her!**

Sakura quelled the instinct quickly and sat down on a comfy looking stool, grabbing some sake in the process.

_Just a little wouldn't hurt…_

--

_I can't believe I fell asleep!_

Naruto looked at his watch and sadly acknowledged he was at least 10 minutes late.

_Well, its better than usual I guess…_

He marched in and smiled at his friends, and happily greeted them one by one until…

"Sakura-ch—" He cut himself off "I'm umm…well, it's nice to see you!" He smiled almost warmly enough to heat the chill in his ice blue eyes.

"Oi, Naruto, what's that you have on your back?" Kiba sniffed disinterestedly.

"Hehe…It's a long story."

"Let's hear it, eh, it's not like we have anything better to do." Shikamaru sighed.

"You're such a dork!" Ino tried to tackle him, but Shino blocked the way.

"Calm down…" He turned his gaze towards Naruto "So yes, let's hear about that sack you've got."

Naruto took a seat on the opposite side of Sakura, distancing them as far apart as possible.

_Naruto-kun…_

"Heh…well…I woke up today after getting smacked in the face by my ceiling." He grimaced. "I had to go to Baa-chan's office to ask for a repair service, but she said I had to 'vacate the premises' or something official sounding like that. Naturally, I had to pick the essentials…"

"Let me guess…Ramen?" Neji asked sarcastically.

"No no no, he totally kept his goofy sleeping dog hat!" Kiba laughed.

"Maybe you should shut up and let me finish?!" Naruto barked at them.

"Yeah…" Sakura muttered.

"Umm…Right. So yeah, I just packed _clothes_, my watch, and _money_."

"Ah...So…where are you going to stay?" Shikamaru asked, suddenly realizing the implications of all of that.

"Hehe…well…I was gonna see if any of you guys had room…" Naruto finished timidly.

He was met with a cacophony of murmurs, all saying something along the lines of

"Ask someone else…"

As if by magic, though, a voice rang through the crowd like a knife through butter.

"Naruto-kun, you could stay with me if you have nowhere else to go."

The heads turned towards the sound of the voice, only to see…

-- End--

Heh, I'm such a jerk. I tried to proofread this, but…my brain itches and I wanted to get it out as soon as I reached the 2000 word mark. I ended up a few hundred late, but…its okay.

Either way, email me at the email in my profile if you want to beta, because going via review is just a hassle. Give me a convincing email and I'll let you beta…


	4. Chapter 3: Of tears unwept

Hey hey guys, it's me again. Sorry about the long wait, my only excuse is my lack of time. I know I'm unreliable, but…this is just a hobby, you know? I have to keep school ahead of this, no matter how pointless it seems or how stupid my teachers probably are.

-Chapter 3

Eyes darted to and fro searching for the source of the mysterious voice, all coming to rest on the same kunoichi. The air was stagnant and reserved, waiting for any sound to shatter the pervading silence.

"That's awful generous of you, Sakura-chan!" Lee finally grinned, throwing a thumbs up her way casually.

As a dam breaks and water cascades through, so did offhand comments spring from his, alighting the rest of the table in furious conversation at this new piece of gossip.

_What's going to happen with _that

_He's been pining for her _forever!

And finally (and most suspiciously)

_What's going on?!..._

Hinata's face was a mixture of happiness for her deep rooted love and despair at this tremendous loss. Her slight features seemed to sink into her face as she twiddled her fingers absently; trying to shrink from the crowd she was hesitant to join in the first place.

"Are…you sure, Sakura?" Naruto blinked apprehensively.

**Never been more, SHANNARO!**

Deciding that it wasn't quite prudent to say that, she assured him gently.

"Teammates have to stick together," She smiled lightly, that little knowing turn of the lips that always set Naruto's heart on fire.

Well… It used to anyway.

_Right?_

"Thanks…" He smiled back, a grin spreading from ear to ear. "Thanks a bunch, Sakura!"

The atmosphere now much more genial, the regular gaiety of their weekly pastime took a more complete grip on the situation. People followed the regular "Avoid giving Lee enough to get him drunk" rule, as well as the "Talking about Sasuke" Faux-pas.

Regardless, the rest of the group was extremely curious as to how the pair's mission actually ended up. They heard rumors, of course, ranging from them being killed by Akatsuki to them running off and getting married.

The latter, of course, was not widely accepted.

"So…How did it go?" Shikamaru asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"How did _what_ go?" Sakura responded with painfully obvious underlying venom.

_So troublesome…_

"The mission of course!" Kiba laughed enthusiastically, saving Shikamaru from a "troublesome" situation.

Emotion Sakura had battled so hard to keep at bay threatened to burst out at any moment, tears slowly starting to coalesce at her eyelids.

_No…NO…_

"It… went as we expected…" Naruto answered, his expression downcast. "Sasuke got away again…"

The rest of the group nodded sympathetically as Sakura recomposed herself.

_Thanks…Naruto-kun…_

"Don't worry about it, Sasuke is prodigy and an Uchiha. It will take time…" Neji prodded onwards, trying to sound encouraging.

"He's a good stratagem as well…he's a tough opponent." Shikamaru added as an afterthought.

_If only you knew…_ Sakura averted her gaze. _Anything about his _strategy…

"Yeah, he is…" Naruto finally responded, clearly not in the mood to discuss his failure.

Noticing this, Sakura stood up abruptly, startling the rest of the group.

"I need a bit of air," She stretched, yawning "Anyone want to join me?"

She looked squarely at Naruto, never one for absolute subtlety. He returned her gaze, his mind a whirlwhind of emotion.

_Should I…?_

Meanwhile, Konoha's Green Beast tried to stand up, though he met more resistance than he expected with Tenten's foot and found himself being tripped back into his chair along with a threatening glare.

_Maybe not…_ Lee decided with a frown.

Naruto eventually decided to let impulse take dominance over emotion, and he stood up with a smirk etched in his face.

"Sounds good!"

He threw up his hand behind his head and walked out in front of her, never looking back.

_It's so…different now_ Sakura sighed, downcast.

The first icy blast of peppermint air chilled them pleasantly and they breathed deeply the scent of freedom. The moon was now hanging cheerfully in the sky as the misty iridescent clouds floated languidly around it, drifting through the musky blue like kayaks through the most pristine water

_That's nothing…_ She thought, her view rapt in his eyes.

Naruto laughed softly, inhaling deeply.

"Do you want to get out of here?" He asked suddenly.

"Out of here?" Sakura murmured softly, rolling the words off her tongue experimentally.

_Never heard a better idea in my life…_

**Hell yes, Shannaro!**

"Yeah, out of here" He continued "You know, _away_. Take a walk, I don't know." He sighed, exasperated for the first time in his young life at the pink haired kunoichi.

"I know what you mean!" She snapped, "I was just thinking…You know what that is, right?"

"Mhmm, all I know 'bout it is it's overrated." He smirked.

"Shush, you…" Her expression softened.

_Well that's new…_

"So a walk…" She continued, voicing the idea out loud.

"_Yes_, a walk. Through leaves, over bridges, _one foot over the other_."

"Sheesh, since when did you become Mr. Sarcastic?" She asked, though immediately she realized the honest answer was one she didn't want to hear.

She glanced to Naruto, who had suddenly become engrossed in the ground as he nonchalantly scuffed the dirt as their feet lead them on a path that would remain unknown until it ended.

"It really is a gorgeous night, Naruto-kun…" her eyes trailed skyward again, the easiest escape of terrestrial troubles nestling themselves in between the speckled stars.

The puerile grass danced softly beneath them as the night whittled itself away minute by minute, the silence finding itself more at home every second as the pair strolled through the verdurous forest that made Konoha so famous.

The moon was now sparkling overhead without any obstacles blocking it's light glow from kissing the earth below, slowly skipping the luminence across an azure lake's water just like the stones swiftly being tossed from Naruto's firm grasp.

"5….6…7!" Sakura giggled tinkling bells as she tried her hand at the game, each time never quite matching Naruto's prowess. "How do you get so many?!" She asked in mock anger.

"It's a guy thing, Sakura-ch…Sakura." He smiled, fixing his mental error midspeech.

Sakura ignored it and continued her part of the play flawlessly, "A guy thing, huh? How do _you_ do it then?"

"Oof, Sakura, my pride is much weaker than I am!" He laughed, throwing another disk shaped stone.

"That's weird," She giggled again, sending butterflies through Naruto's stomach. " I can't tell the difference between you two."

"Sakuraaaa, you're a machine with those insults!" He laughed, clearly taking no offense. "Some things never change, you know?"

With that last offhand comment, Sakura was struck dumb yet again. It was odd how he could do that to her nowadays…make her speechless with such a simple truth that it should have occurred to her ages ago.

"Teach me." She stated finally.

"Come again?"

"You heard me, Naruto-kun. _Teach_ me." She pressed onwards "How do you throw stones like that?"

Naruto resigned and sighed, throwing up his hands in mock frustration. "I'm breaking an ancient code of guys, here, Sakura, I hope you know that."

"Oh, that's why I'm doing it, of course." She laughed, trying to fix her form.

He walked behind her, _comfortably_ close, trying to gauge the problem. He grasped her waist lightly, a tenderness hidden beneath his callously brash exterior.

_But…I've always known he was like this…_ she thought. _Soft…_

The light touches sent shivers up her spine, making her involuntarily shudder.

"Cold, Sakura?" He whispered lightly, worried that perhaps he was too close.

She shook her head, unable to speak complete sentences. "What else…is wrong…with the posture?"

"Well…"

He grasped her hand softly, rearranging her fingers pleasantly around the stone. "Hold it a bit tighter…but not too tight." He laughed "You might crush the stone to bits."

"A-ah…"

He lightly took a hold of her waist and rotated her, trying to get the perfect form imbued in _her_ perfect form.

"All ready, Sakura, fire away!"

His grin matched the length of the stone as it skipped…

"4…5…6…7..8..9!?" Sakura squealed happily, breaking the night's record.

"Aww man, now I made you better than me!" He laughed, feigning anger.

**No way, Naruto-kun! You need to fix my posture again, SHANNARO**

_**Shut up…**_

Sakura reveled in her victory, though her thoughts were entirely muddled about the situation.

_There's still something _wrong_…_ her brow furrowed, indicating her deep thought only to those who knew her best.

Unfortunately for her, Naruto was one of those people.

"What's on your mind, Sakura?"

She stiffened, always surprised that he could read her so well.

_Why did he stop using the chan…_

"I feel like it's getting late is all…" She kept her gaze level and smiled lightly, disarming him.

"Yeah, I suppose it is…" He chuckled "I bet the others are pretty confused about how we just _disappeared_."

His effervescent eyes twinkled mischievously at the thought. Sakura always theorized that his eyes weren't _really_ blue. Nothing could be _that_ blue, after all, except the sky; and even then only one the clearest of spring days. No, she thought that his eyes were really like mirrors, reflecting whatever he was thinking about…

And in his mind, it was always the clearest of spring days, and he was always looking skyward. His gaze remains steadfast upwards, to that part of the sky where reality stops and dreams begin.

When he was sad… darkness.

But she wouldn't tell anyone that. She wouldn't admit to liking any part of him publicly…she barely did mentally.

As they began their departure, a jovial drizzle began to coalesce in the sky above them, the clouds shedding a few premature tears before it truly began to wail. The water came in sheets, droplets bombarding the earth with a delicacy reserved to those warm spring nights that reassured of the summer close to follow.

It has been said that the only real fountain of youth was the sky, which made some sense to Sakura, then, as she felt for the first times in her adolescent life as an innocent child would.

She skipped through the rain with Naruto trailing behind, lightly laughing at her antics.

_So this is what it's like for him…all the time._ She mused. _I could get used to it…_

The exuberance was short lived as the pair ended up outside of the kunoichi's apartment. It was a conservative abode, small shutters outside her window swinging crustily against the surges of wind as the flowerpots shivered in it as though plagued with frostbite.

Tulip petals drifted lazily down, rainbow hues blowing creatively in spirals above their heads as it danced the primordial springtime tango that seemed to infect teenagers regularly at this time of year. The lone crimson petal landed softly on Sakura's hair, wavering lithely in the increasingly powerful wind.

"Sakura, you…" Naruto decided to just pluck the offending petal out instead of finishing.

"Well, here ya go" He offered it to her in a mock gentlemanly fashion, bowing deeply.

"Why thank you" She blushed lightly, tucking the article behind her ear. "We better get inside, the rain's getting worse"

He noted the waves of water falling down and heartily agreed, stepping inside shortly after she did.

"What should I do with…" He gestured to his bag "My things?"

"Just put it down somewhere out of the way…" Sakura answered absently, tidying up a few random things that seemed to irritate her.

_Women…typical_ Naruto chuckled to himself as he watched her impulsively clean a few random specks of virtually nonexistent dirt.

_If only I knew he was coming I would have cleaned up!_

**He doesn't care!**

"Sakura, where am I sleeping?" He asked, snapping Sakura out of her reverie for more than one reason.

_Where did the chan go…_

"Umm…" Her lips pursed, unable to follow both trains of thought.

_There is only the extra futon in my room…_

"I guess upstairs on the futon." She responded finally, still distracted.

Naruto began to hoist the bag on his shoulder, but paused after further reflection of her face.

"Sakura, there's still something bothering you. And don't say it's that you're worried about the others or anything, 'cause I know it's untrue."

"Naruto-kun…"

He sighed, dropping the bag with an audible thud.

_This won't end well…_

"Things have been so strained between us…" She sighed, knowing that it was obviously because of her failure in the plan.

"Heh, _strained?_" He laughed, the air freezing with the coldness of his tone. "I bet you think there's been a _gap_ growing between us, right?"

She nodded on sadly, waiting for him to continue.

He paced around quickly, gathering the right words and tone into a bundle of angst that was ready to drop at any time.

"I bet I could tell you the exact size of that gap." He smiled bitterly, tears _almost_ forming at the corners of his eyes. "The size of Sasuke-_kun_'s fist when charged with a lightning bolt."

The blow was stinging, and left Sakura feeling raw on the inside. Never had she seen him so…passionate about something so deeply related to all of them.

"I'm….I'm sorry, Naruto-kun…I didn't mean…" She struggled, salty tears cascading from her mournful eyes.

He inhaled deeply, calming himself; the outburst of emotion leaving him feeling discomposed and irritated at the world.

"Look…" He pressed, his eyes softening. "It's just not worth worrying about anymore. That…incident…clearly shows where I belong in the hearts of my friends."

He stormed upstairs bitterly, leaving the room in imaginary shambles and Sakura dumbfounded at his display of emotion.

_So that's what he thinks…that we don't care about him._

**We have to prove him wrong!**

_How...?_

00—00

Hinata rolled over unhappily on her bed, trying to find that comfortable position that eludes during particularly painful reminiscing experiences.

_All she's going to do is hurt him again…_ She sighed, breathing heavily.

_I should tell him tomorrow…_

--End

Broke 2000 words again, right on. It might not appear like it, but if you read all the imagery and stuff it's much longer, so try not to skim it if you want to really get a feel for the story.

I know it took a long time and stuff, but I've had a lot of work on my hands. I'm thinking the next chapter is going to be the last, and perhaps an epilogue if I find the time. I might storyboard another longer fic later on this month, but that's all up in the air. Maybe I'll cowrite something…Regardless…

Cheers,

FallArbor


	5. Chapter 4: Much Ado About Nothing?

I don't want this to sound so negative, but I virtually _finished_ this stupid chapter and my computer TURNED OFF. God, I wasn't even sure if was going to finish it just because of that…

But then I realized perhaps it was a blessing. I'm going to expand this story, I've had a few ideas floating around and…well, it's time to execute them.

I have to say, this goes pretty far off my original idea, BUT, this chapter is basically it for the digression. All that will happen is an opportunity for some better character development, so this will have basically all the action I was expecting for the fic. If any of you are angry about how…strong I'm going to make Naruto for this, keep in mind the details I reveal and the fact that essentially he won't be fighting anymore except for a few brief excursions. This was written with the previous chapters in mind, and I wrote the first few with an idea that I might do this if I could think of an okay way to do it.

I read all of the reviews, and judging by what they said, it sounds like this chapter might not be well received because it seems like it takes the story in a whole new direction. I want to assure you it goes back to character and less action next chapter, this was just a way to introduce a whole new storyline that could make it a lot more…interesting. To be honest, the old one was getting boring because I felt like I was beating the concept to a pulp…

I hope some of you guys stick around after this chapter, I'm pretty excited about where it's going. Trust me, it's…not going to suck, it won't be too dramatic or too long…

It'll be FallArbor.

Chapter 4 – Much Ado About Nothing?

--

There has always been an allure of a midnight sky. A veritable magnetism that seems to draw on the most primal of man's instincts. Gazes find themselves being torn upwards by the insatiable riptides of the milky way, with glittering stars and swirling planets dotting a velvety blackness draped across the heavens, and for some primeval reason, it is an urge of man to search for answers there.

It is for this reason that a shinobi could spend countless hours whittling away questions towards the horizon; or perhaps just staring at the clouds waiting for a question to come.

Indigo clouds were bundling harshly together in the distance in a foreboding image of intense thunderheads. An onlooker shook his head lightly in dismay, wondering how long it would be before another burst of rain would drive him out of his introspective seclusion.

There was something eerily beautiful about the oncoming storm front, a mysterious _danger_ imbued in the charged air that was slowly flitting it's way across the sky to the sleeping village nestled happily below like a birds nest in a billowing weeping willow; unaware of a soon to be forgotten commotion.

"Stunning, huh?" A voice broke the comfortable silence

The onlooker remained unperturbed, as though he didn't hear the question. He sighed lightly, watching his breath crystallize in the brisk spring night.

"For a cyclops you sure do have an eye for beauty," He laughed to himself "Shocking considering the amount of smut you dedicate your time to, Kakashi-sensei"

The observer hunched over, openly amused by the gentle rebuke.

"Bitter words, Naruto" Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in a light smile. "In any way related to why you're up here on Sakura's apartment?"

Naruto took his time in responding, testing each word before he let them loose. Though unnatural for him, his mood wasn't as brash as it normally was.

"You could say that…" He sat up, stretching his arms and wiping off some stray condensation from his orange and black jumper. "But why are _you_ up here, of all places"

Kakashi chuckled at his vain attempt to change the subject, though he quickly responded:

"Amazing shinobi such as myself have a sixth sense for their students"

"Where's it been before?" Naruto laughed bitterly, getting up.

"Yowch" Kakashi sighed in a monotone, "you _are_ bitter this evening."

"Well, don't I have reason to be?" Naruto shot back at him.

"I wouldn't know, maybe you should _tell_ me." Kakashi leapt into the brisk air and landed silently next to his former student.

"It's the same old story, Kakashi-sensei. You saw it thousands of times with us…" Naruto let the words hang, unwilling to finish.

"So the mission wasn't a simple failure, huh?" Kakashi thought for a moment, "Then again, I suppose they rarely are."

"Sensei…we had him…" Naruto struggled, "I guess…I shouldn't have asked so much of her."

"The only thing I could imagine that would be too much would be…to kill him."

"Heh…All she needed to do was get him unconscious…I had him pinned and she had the kunai, but…" He trailed off, "Yeah…"

Kakashi's eye flicked downwards for a moment, his forehead creased in slight thought.

"Naruto, I never figured _I'd_ be the one telling you this…" Kakashi, rubbed the back of his neck tentatively, "but you have to learn some things about girls. She's _confused_…"

Naruto just nodded grimly, not quite understanding but pretending to, as always.

"Just…give her some time. She'll get over him soon enough." He stood up, cracking his back.

"What makes you think I _want_ her to get over him, huh?" Naruto asked, his temper flaring.

Kakashi barked with laughter, jumping away.

_It's that obvious, huh…?_

--

Sakura's head was resting fitfully on her pillow, though she couldn't help herself from eavesdropping on the conversation overhead.

_Are they talking about…me_?

**What's Kakashi talking about?! Over him?!**

_Sasuke-kun…_

She rolled over, creaking slightly; her eyes widened in terror of being discovered, but fortunately nothing happened.

"…Shouldn't be telling you this…needs time…" Sakura heard through the floor, more muffled than before.

_Maybe he did hear me…_

Sakura heard the patter of trickling raindrops and felt herself being hypnotized by the steady beat. The pulsing rhythm was slowly ebbing at her consciousness, til…

Her heartbeat echo'd loudly, and she found herself at an ancient wooden desk floating in a black ether.

_What…what's going on?!_

A book before her flipped open, a pen floating rhythmically with the rain steadily dancing in reality, flitting across the page with inhuman speed.

_I said my love would end in fire,  
_

…An image of Sasuke's flaming Sharingan flashed through her eyes, burning a hole in her memory…

_He said in ice._

Naruto's frigid blue eyes sparkled happily, accompanied with his omnipresent smile.

_  
From what I've tasted of desire  
I hold with those who favor fire_

Every instant she pined for Sasuke jumped through her mind in an instant, causing a shrieking pain to wrack her body.

_.  
But if it had to happen twice,  
I think I know enough of hate_

Each rejection by Sasuke became another tear on the page as the pen scribbled furiously.

_  
To say that for destruction ice  
Is also great_

And every smile in Naruto's eyes was a kiss to dry them…

_  
And would suffice._

She awoke in a pool of sweat, desperately clinging to the sheets.

**What the hell?!**

_Naruto-kun…_

She grabbed a pen by her beside and scribbled the poem down as to not forget it. That was the defining moment for her…one dream put it all in perspective…

She got up slowly, trying to keep her adrenaline down.

_Where are you…?_

--

His fitful snores rang through the house along with the light chirping of a perfectly white dove nestled outside the window, creating an oddly relaxing cacophony of noise enough to drive Naruto deeper into his slumber.

Beside the couch on the loosely carpeted floor was a cracked alarm clock blinking happily in the morning sun, telling the world in it's skewed glass that it was 2 minutes behind with a time of 9:36.

He awoke with a start to the sound of light footsteps upstairs, which surprised him slightly as the bustling noises of early morning Konoha would ordinarily drown out such things, save for his attunement to these _specific_ steps. Clambering to his feet, he dragged on his pants and tossed his sleeping cap on top of the clock.

grumble

_Ehh….Food…_

His morning self retaining the usual eloquence gave way to his primal urges for food, and his feet lead him to the sound of a fryer.

Through half lidded eyes he acknowledged Sakura lightly, not completely aware that he was even awake. She busied herself with the work of preparing breakfast, both acting as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened (and indeed, in Naruto's yet completely conscious mind, it probably hadn't).

Yawning widely, he announced between gasps "Moooooorning, yawn, Sakura-chan."

She turned around, a delicate smile playing about her pale lips.

"Ohayou, Naruto-kun."

"What's for breaahhhhh" He yawned midsentence, trying to gather his thoughts. "Breakfast…?"

"Just some eggs…" She responded absently, adding a dash of onions.

"Just…eggs?"

Had Naruto been awake, he would have realized the phenomenal mistake he had just made.

"Just….**eggs?!**"

Upon hearing the venom dripping from the end of that sentence, the adrenaline in his body kicked into overdrive, sending his awareness to levels he'd yet to experience, even in his harshest of battles.

_Think...!...THINK!!!!_

"Just….eggs are so…expensive!" He quickly articulated, "Why waste them on me?!" He concluded, his arms flailing wildly.

"That's what I _thought_ you meant," She finished half threateningly, trying to stifle her giggles.

_Phew…_

After a brief respite of trying to get his heart to stop hammering, the pair ate in relative silence. The morning sun cascaded through the slightly opened window, letting the soft breeze smelling of the bakery and market across the street waft in, pervading the house in an almost too cozy atmosphere.

Almost like a _home_, instead of a _house_…

Deciding the silence had lasted too long, Naruto decided to break it:

"Thanks for making this, Sakura-chan" Naruto grinned, patting his belly appreciatively.

"What kind of host would I be if I didn't, eh?" She stood up, collecting the plates and silverware thoughtfully adding, "And what kind of friend, either?"

Naruto simply laughed, helping her clear the small table at which they were eating. For once, life seemed…

_Easy…_

His mind began to meander, sending him down dark corridors of musty memories, slowly reeling through the happiest and quickly discarding the bulk of sad ones. His past whipped around him like a strangely euphoric slideshow, giving him snapshots of the past that were likely warped with memory but somehow…more accurate that way.

"Remember Zabuza and Haku?" He asked from the relative silence, Sakura's ears perking up.

"Don't be silly, Naruto-kun!" She grinned, teetering back in her chair. "Of course I do…"

"Well…I meant…like…" He paused, gathering his words, "If it weren't for them, I doubt we'd ever have really become a real team, you know?"

Sakura paused to think about it, weighing the implications in her mind. The pair was the primary reason for Naruto's fearlessness, not to mention fueling a rivalry between him and Sasuke…

But…

_I think that would have happened anyway…_

"Maybe…" Sakura began, "Maybe we were just meant to be together, no matter what."

Naruto closed his eyes, enjoying the way she said that, as though maybe she were talking about _them_ and not just about…team 7.

"Yeah…"

Sakura's lips twitched upwards in a knowing smile, and like words etched across a moonlit beach, winds whipped through his mind blurring the sounds until the only meaning left was one of innocent emptiness, waiting to be filled yet again.

"Naaaaaaaaaruto-san!" A voice rang suddenly through the open window, reverberating around the small room like an electrified ping-pong ball.

Naruto jumped at the noise, dashing over to the window sill to see the source of the commotion.

"Fuzzy brows?" Naruto asked pointedly, light irritation fraying the edges of his short repose.

"You said you wanted to train," The youth began enthusiastically, "How about now?"

Naruto paused to consider the argument…

_Stay here with Sakura-chan…go with Lee to get my ass kicked…hmm…_

"Naruto-kun, you should probably go. You basically promised" Sakura gave him a light shove towards the window, which unfortunately with her strength ended up slightly more than a push as Naruto found himself sailing leisurely through the air out the window.

_Whoops…_ Sakura chuckled, shutting the window. _This will give me some time to work out what I'm supposed to say…_

--

Rock Lee started with a "brisk" jog to the outskirts of the village, leaving a haggard Naruto chugging his way behind with labored breathing and aching muscles.

_How does he _do_ this?!_

"Okay!" The green clad shinobi halted, "That was a good warm-up. Time to start training!"

Naruto sighed heavily, dropping into a fighting stance.

"The first step to speed is endurance, so I want to see how long you can last."

With that introduction, Lee sped at Naruto blindingly, his palms raised to begin the pumbling.

"Wait a moment!" Naruto screamed a second before Lee's fist connected with his chin, halting it.

"What?" The boy's eyebrows arched tremendously.

"Can I use ninjutsu?"

"Of course…" The green beast responded, exasperated.

"Oh," Naruto grinned cheekily, "All right"

The fight resumed, Lee's fist connecting with…a puff of smoke.

_Kage-Bunshin!_

Lee continued his rotation, blocking a punch aimed at his midsection. Naruto rolled through with a kick aimed at the other's head, but missed as he disappeared in a green flash.

Landing with a soft thump, Naruto whirled around expecting an attack at any time.

None came.

"Fuzzy brows?" He perused, "Uhh…Is this a trick?"

Naruto scanned around, searching anywhere for his temporary speed trainer. He prepared to create a few Kage-Bunshins but was interrupted mid-seal.

"He's asleep" Came an oddly familiar voice.

"…Teme…?" Naruto's eyes darkened severely, worried for his friend. "What did you do?!" he screamed at nothing, unable to locate his former teammate.

He heard a rustle behind him, and turned only to see his rival standing with a near blank expression in his face. Naruto tried to read it, but was confused only to find…

_Sorrow…?_

"I didn't want any of it to happen like this" The Uchiha began without preamble. "_None_ of this was supposed to involve you…"

"Wha—"

"Just shut up for a moment, Dobe." Sasuke cut him off. "I need to finish this."

"Don't tell me you grew a conscience, Sasuke…" Naruto continued, stunned. "What are you trying to do, huh? Haven't you done _enough_ psychological damage to everyone here?!"

"It's because I need your help!" Sasuke yelled back, emotion suddenly leaking into his visage. "Because I finally realized why I'm different from _him!_"

"Him…?"

"_Itachi_" Sasuke spat with such venom the grass below him nearly withered.

"And you expect me to believe that you suddenly became that old Sasuke that was on our team, huh?" Naruto responded quickly, "How much respect have you _lost_ for me?!"

"You want proof…" Sasuke murmered lightly.

The raven haired boy turned his neck slightly, revealing an unblemished façade of skin.

"The curse seal…" Naruto began.

"Gone." Sasuke smirked, "And it took more than I'm willing to tell to get rid of it…"

Still wary, Naruto eyed Sasuke slightly more approvingly.

"So what's going on then, what do you want?"

"I want…" Sasuke's eyes faded slightly, "to kill him. I want your help."

Naruto contemplated the turn of events…

_If he wanted me dead, he'd have attacked already…And…there is no way he is in league with Akatsuki, as that would be helping the last person he would ever want to help…this will turn out very interestingly…_

"Alright." He said finally. "Do we go…now?"

Relieved, the Uchiha sighed. "Yes, now."

He sped off into the underbrush with a still confused Naruto trailing behind.

And so, as it goes, Naruto found himself on a mad dash through one of the most dangerous jungles in the world in an AWOL mission tangling to Kami knows where, following one of the most wanted men in Konoha in a wild goose chase for the most deadly Shinobi alive, without an excuse to the girl of his dreams who might have just started taking a real liking in him.

All for an unknown…

"Where pant Is their hidehout?" Naruto asked through his deep breaths.

"hold on…" Sasuke came to a stop in a high branch pointing down to a low clearing. "They've been meeting in a cave not to far from here, let's set up camp…"

The pair jumped into the clearing, landing silently amidst the tall reeds gracefully kissing the sky, a blood red sun setting in the distance leaving the tips of the stalks crimson coated.

Naruto lay down, reluctantly awaiting the battle ahead, still not entirely at ease with the situation. As absurd as it seemed, this was even more crazy when he considered how bitter enemies they were _hours_ before.

_Why would Sasuke bring me here…if he really wanted to kill Itachi there'd have to be a better plan…_

Naruto gasped audibly.

_What if…_

"So you brought him?" A gruff voice echoed behind the blond shinobi.

_Kami help me…_

Naruto leapt to his feet, seeing his "ally" standing beside an enormous blue man and another Uchiha not far behind.

"He fell for it" The shark like member of Akatsuki grinned. "Man, what a gullible little kid."

Itachi walked forward, a seeming specter compared to the all to real other two. Everything about the man was…mythic.

"I am trading your life," Sasuke spoke emotionlessly, "For a chance to kill my brother, with no running allowed. The rest of Akatsuki agreed because technically, if they get you, Itachi would just be backup."

The boy dusted his neck, revealing the inky black curse seal still all to present on the nape of his neck.

Naruto chuckled lightly, looking at the trio with grandeur shining in his eyes.

"I didn't think I'd ever have to do this," Naruto sighed, dusting himself off, "Sakura-chan was always with me when I confronted you, so I never _could_ test out my theory."

Sasuke looked slightly awestruck at the casualness with which Naruto possessed about the whole situation.

"That's all you have to say, huh kid?" Kisame roared with laughter.

-- _flashback_ _2 years ago_--

_  
"What do you want, Baa-chan?" Naruto asked sullenly, missing out a chance to do some summer vandalism._

"_Naruto, don't let this go to your head," she began, full well knowing it would. "But I think it's time you joined ANBU. It is the nature of the organization for…no one to know, but considering your lack of family ties, I don't think you should have a problem with it, right?" She grinned inwardly, expecting the reaction she got._

"_YES!" he nodded emphatically._

"_Good, because I have some classified information here on the curse seal you should probably read up on…" The Hokage grinned, happy that she could finally reveal all the secret information they had on Orochimaru._

"_The reason people leave for more power…is because the nature of the seal corrupts the soul. If someone were to purge the seal from the body by some exorcism technique, well…"She petered off._

"_How hard would that be?" Naruto asked._

"_Well…" She began, "Probably impossible."_

_Flash Forward 1 year_

"_Baa-chan!" Naruto yelled at the Hokage, leaping into the chair opposite her desk. "I think I figured something out!"_

_He was wearing a long dark cloak the inner lining laced with an orange-esque copper, a slightly modified ANBU uniform without the mask. Smirking lightly, he sighed heavily._

"_Mhmm" She didn't look up, all to used to these random outbursts. "Why do you have butcher your uniform with that orange…stuff."_

_Ignoring her remark, he plowed on with his thought._

"_I think I realized how to eliminate the curse seal!"_

_The shocking news startled the Sannin, though she didn't show it. It could easily be another one of those crazy ideas…_

"_Naruto, the curse seal isn't something that can just be erased." The Hokage clucked her tongue, "It's a fundamental evil that seeps into the chakra systems of the infected person. You cannot just…eliminate it."She concluded. _

"_But…you know my Rasenshuriken?! Doesn't that sever things at a cellular level?" Naruto paused, gathering his breath, "From what I noticed battling it, the cursed seal is just a contamination by polluting the chakra system with Orochimaru's seal. Wouldn't the shuriken just…scrape it clean?"_

"_Naruto!" She cut him off, "You cannot even perform that without doing substantial damage to yourself! Not to mention, that'd be like trying to perform surgery with a sledgehammer _blindfolded._ It's impossible"_

_The blond shinobi grinned._

"_Impossible is what I do best, you know. I can throw it now, and if worse comes to worse…"_

"_At least it would kill him if it didn't work." Tsunade sighed, leaning heavily on her hands. "So that's all?"_

"_Well…"_

--_End flashback_—

Naruto bit his thumb and smacked the ground, a dark shroud whipping past him as the cloak snugly wrapped around him, his fox ANBU mask dropping heavily on his face.

"Sasuke-teme," Naruto laughed, "You missed a lot."

Naruto dropped into a fighting stance, his long cloak billowing behind him in the reflexive wind.

"You think that because you have an ANBU cloak that you can fight us all…?" Sasuke smirked lightly. "Interesting…"

"No, not all of you" Naruto laughed again, disappearing in a gust of wind.

Sasuke looked around at the atmosphere blurring quickly, as everything seemed to whip by at unimaginable speeds.

"Just you." He finished, dropping a dazed Sasuke on the gritty terrain, miles away from where they started.

"What...?" Sasuke looked around, his Sharingan activated.

--_Flashback 1 year ago--_

"_Well…" he began, "I have been trying to find out about my parents recently…"_

_He heard a sharp intake of breath, and glanced across the desk at the female Sannin._

"_What did you find out…?" She asked slowly._

"_I've noticed a lot of the jounins I asked make…references to my appearance in relation to a deceased shinobi." He answered cautiously, not wanting to sound like a foolish hopeful little boy. _

"_Which shinobi was this?"_

"_Uzumaki Arashi…the Yondaime Hokage…" He looked away, embarrassed._

_The Godaime sighed lightly, leaning back in her chair._

"_You were bound to find out anyway…" She frowned, "He didn't want you to know for your own good. He always said a son should never hate a father…"_

_He grinned knowingly, laughing at what she said._

"_Heh, the man did what he had to. I…sort of guessed it a long time ago, but…thought it might just be hopeful wishing, you know?"_

_Startled, the Hokage nodded slightly. _

"_He left a will for you, if you want it. All that was in it was a seal, we figured it was just his last prank" She smiled in his memory. "He was a lot like you…"_

_--end flashback—_

"You talked so much about your bloodlines," Naruto spoke lightly, though his face was anything but. His dark expression mirrored the shocked one on Sasuke's face, as the latter stood up slowly measuring himself against the blond.

_Pure betrayal…_ the words echoed in the ANBU's head, as he disappeared in a wisp and ended up with his knee deep into his former friend's back, already being spread with the curse seal.

"Blood this, blood that." He continued, kicking the Uchiha a few yards away. "I'll _show_ you blood, Sasuke."

Naruto gathered his chakra, creating the seal purely out of the energy streaming from his body. He immediately recognized the will, after all; It was the secret to the Hiraishen, and he suspected that there were others who knew that as well. It was Naruto, however, who turned it from an attack that must be preformed with _seals_ to one that could be used by chakra manipulation.

"I always thought that if I did this to actually gain the upper hand against you," Naruto continued, nimbly dodging a chidori charged fist flashing past him. "That you'd just leave again, desperate to outclass me."

He kicked Sasuke into a tree, shattering it, a gust of wind powering his piston-like legs.

Naruto began charging the Rasenshuriken in his hand, holding it behind his back as the whirlwind began to ripple the air around him, shredding it like tissue paper. With his free hand, he created a shadow clone that dashed at the wrecked tree, picking up a limp level 2 Sasuke.

…In a flash of wind, it was all over…

--

Konoha was, in all sense of the word, in an uproar. The streets thronged with angry villagers at the return of the traitor, unconscious and unscathed in the arms of the 9 tailed demon in a dark and tattered cloak. Word caught on like wildfire, and rumors spread just as quickly. No one knew for sure what happened except for the affected and the affector, and the former wasn't quite in the position to speak and the latter…well, he was a bit occupied himself.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking" The Hokage burst out after hearing the strange tale of what occurred. "How did you NOT think that that was anything BUT a trap!"

Naruto nodded solemnly, his head hung low.

"Naruto…" Her hardened face softened lightly, as her amber eyes met his azure ones.

"Yeah…?"

"You really do have a knack for the impossible." She smiled, embracing him tightly.

"Does this mean you're gonna make me Hokage?" Naruto asked sarcastically.

"Not by a long shot, kiddo" She smiled, "I have to go check on the Uchiha, but…from what I saw, it looks like your plan worked." She lobbed him bodily out the window, giving him enough time to realize that he'd find himself in this position a lot less if he were less rude.

He landed gracefully, taking back his hood which had flown up to his face on the fall down.

"N-Naruto-kun?" He heard a delicate voice ask.

He twirled around and saw his female Hyuuga contemporary smiling shyly back at him.

"Hey" He grinned, "How ya doin', Hinata-chan?"

"G-good…" she stuttered, "Umm…N-Naruto-kun…" She began haltingly.

_This is it…!_

"Hinata-chan," He cut her off, "I don't mean to sound rude, but…I'm really tired…"

"No…problem…" She choked back the stutters and ran off, leaving him slightly confused.

He sighed and trudged towards Sakura's apartment, guiltily acknowledging an irritated Rock Lee who was still rubbing a sore spot on his head. He nodded hellos to a few of his fellow shinobi, but desperately just wanted to get a brief respite.

**"Na…ru…to…"**

He froze in place, easily recognizing the tone.

_Oh no..._ He mentally slapped himself. _Sakura-chan…_

"**I…Heard…you went alone….after…Sasuke-kun…"**

He had only one way to leave her speechless enough to save his skin, and that was the complete truth.

"He's…in the hospital." He groaned, lurching forward slightly. His body tiredly decided that the ground was good enough, and slumped to a dead faint on the ground.

**WHAT?!**

_**What did he say?!...No…It's not possible…not by himself…**_

She dashed towards the hospital, forgetting about the critically exhausted boy in a lump on the ground.

"W…wai…t" Naruto croaked out, too softly for her to hear.

Naruto struggled to fight against the biting blackness, but couldn't handle it, losing himself to the exhaustion…

…To Be Continued…

Alright guys, it went WAYYY off, but it also introduces some new character development. Her little epiphany earlier is sort of backed up in the whole Sasuke being back thing, along with the fact that no one knows what he's gonna be like without the evil curse seal affecting his brain (it's not quite like that in the Manga or Anime, but it _might_ be.)

Either way, this is obviously AU anyway. I took the high road and at least made Naruto human enough to collapse after the massive amount of Chakra he used.

Speaking of that, you'll learn more about the nature of what he used next chapter. Either way, the writing got sorta shoddy at the end, not out of rush but out of the fact I just wrote a lot for school and it's the longest update…I've ever had.


	6. Chapter 5: What's gorgeous?

Writer's block. I never claimed to be a good writer, but I never realized how hard this was going to be. Gosh, I've kept you all waiting soooo long, but I wanted to break 4000 words! Granted, I took a long time to do this, but I've been dealing with finals (finally over, thank god). I altered the summary a bit, to reflect how it's going to end...

And I wanted to say, I apologize for the shifts in quality I find in my writing. Sometimes I'm really into making it sound nice, but other times I just want to fit it all in, you know?

Either way… About Sakura's jumpy personality, you gotta realize that she's still a teenager and getting over Sasuke was a big deal for her. Right now, at this tender stage, she finally got past her _obsession_ with him, but like any hormonal teenager… well yeah, she still thinks he's sexy. Naruto has got his work cut out for him, and that could change depending on how Sakura reacts. Nevertheless, it's NaruSaku just because I'm a sucker for that pairing… Naruto has got his work cut out for him, and that could change depending on how Sakura reacts. Nevertheless, it's NaruSaku just because I'm a sucker for that pairing… Please tell me of my grammatical mistakes, I think I made a few.

On with the show.

Chapter 5—

The sterile hospital air burnt her lungs as her eyes briskly zipped through the people lining the walls. Each barrier was dotted with brochures and pictures of happy families locked in time and space, watching the hospital with a sentinel's gaze. Her emerald orbs came to rest upon the counter where a bored looking nurse sat twirling her hair idly, contemplating her nails over an outdated magazine.

"Where? gasp is Uchiha Sasuke?" She asked the stolid nurse.

The woman looked up, chewing her gum with a loud smacking sound. She yawned widely, and leaned back in her chair, taking a slightly deep breath.

"That kid made quite a bit of bustle, lemme tell ya" Her nasal voice smelled strongly of nicotine and tar, braking Sakura's concentration enough to send her even further over the edge.

"I realize this," she began, straining each syllable, "but where _is_ he?"

She received a blank stare as the woman flipped through a small, dusty booklet of names.

"It says here only authorized personnel are allowed to see him," The irritating nurse squinted exaggeratedly at Sakura, "You don't look authorized."

**Oh? I'll SHOW her AUTHORIZED!**

Sakura cracked her knuckles menacingly.

"I've been working and saving lives at this hospital for over 3 years," Her words seethed through the air, "And I won't be stopped by some self important wannabe who has an obsession with overly colored nails and _ancient_ fashion magazines." She slammed her fist down to make a point, sending a crack through the desk to the other side.

The woman haughtily turned up her nose, pointedly ignoring the interruption.

_GOD, I'll just find him myself…_

Coincidentally, Tsunade had chosen that particular time to come bursting through the door in a righteous fury, her angry features betraying little of her foreboding at the situation ahead of her.

_This could end badly…_

She looked up and saw Sakura dumbfounded,

"Oi, Sakura, you're coming with me," She beckoned with her finger, marching down the hall to an unknown destination.

"Hai…" Sakura nodded lightly.

Tsunade glanced at her apprentice with a slightly confused look, giving the student a mild chill.

"What is it, sensei?" She asked finally.

"Well, I was wondering how Naruto was, actually…" Tsunade kept her gaze focused ahead.

"What do you mean?" Sakura continued, perplexed.

"Well…he was exhausted when I saw him, if a little cheeky." The Sannin began, "He seemed depleted of chakra, I figured you'd help him out a bit…"

Sakura paused to consider it, trying to picture the image of her cloaked friend when she last saw him. The image was hazy, blurred at the edges with worry and nerve wracking energy; Everything was so _muddled_.

_What the hell is going on?!_

"To be honest, I was so angry at him at the beginning I didn't even notice…" She trailed off, "And when I heard him mention Sasuke-kun was back…"

The blonde Hokage visibly tensed.

_Hormones…I swear, puberty is the worst…_

"I suggest that after you are done here, you take a look at Naruto." She finally forcibly suggested.

Gulping, her student quickly nodded. "Of course, sensei, I was planning on it."

Which, in actuality, she was.

"Mhmm…" The older woman frowned, "Alright. Here we are, make it quick. He needs rest, as you well know…"

Sakura burst into the room with as little enthusiasm as she could muster, the pale fluorescent light spilling into the room along with her, dripping fitfully on the jaded face of Uchiha Sasuke. His onyx eyes stared blankly at the wall, acknowledging her presence with a faint twitch.

"Sasuke…" her stance remained confident, showing little of the fear her eyes betrayed.

Sasuke avoided her eyes with an almost stoic determination, only nodding at the sound of his name. The air was palpable with the agonizing shards of whatever broken fate might have occurred between them if everything had gone a little differently, each piece puncturing the tranquility of the glittering afternoon slightly more. Sakura picked up his charts, her eyes slightly glazed from the whirlwind of emotions whittling away at her mind.

"Sasuke…" She repeated, slight worry at the fringes of the word.

His eyes shot towards her at the noise, slightly obscured by the sweat plastered hair sticking to his moist forehead. The vision was almost spectral, an obliterated man from a broken boy…

"Everything seems to be in order…" She flipped through the pages, frowning, "Except…"

"Except _what_, doctor?" He asked, his façade of being unperturbed fading quickly.

"Your blood sugar is…extraordinarily low," the corners of her eyes creased in confusion, "It's as if your metabolism has been running at triple the average speed for hours now…"

Sasuke chuckled lightly, leaning back in his bed.

"How do you think the curse seal produces so much energy?" He frowned, seeming genuinely upset about something, "It increases the body's metabolic output enough so everything, from the mind to muscles, works at an increased rate."

Sakura leaned back against the wall, trying to remain calm. Everything he said made it seem so casual, as if _anyone_ could stumble upon a curse seal and effectively give up years of their lives for a quick fix of power.

"Sasuke, that would have killed you if you kept the stuff in your body any longer…"

Sasuke barked with harsh laughter, the powerful emotion adding more effect to the metamorphosis from his prior stagnancy.

_Who are you?_ Sakura choked back a few tears.

"As if you call _this_," He made a gesture to all the wires attached to his body, measuring all of his vitals, "_living_"

"Sasuke…" she muttered.

"Where's Naruto?" he asked suddenly, cutting her off.

"What?" She asked incredulously, _The only reason he'd want to see him is to kill him!_

"I need to talk to him," Sasuke muttered, sitting up and disconnecting the various wires attached to him. Alarmed, Sakura quickly got off the wall and ran to the bed.

"Sasuke, you aren't cleared to leave yet!" She reached to grab his arm but he rolled over the other side, landing deftly. He grabbed his bundle of clothes from the corner of the room and nodded at her with a grim determination.

"Sakura?" he finally said, one foot out the window.

"Y…yes?"

"Where is he?" now crouched on the sill, he asked her again.

"At my house…" She answered after a pause, trusting him enough to not attack her farrago of a friend.

Sasuke couldn't help but give her a small smile as he dashed away, though the meaning wasn't lost on her as either extremely fortunate or…just the opposite.

--

A butterfly gently floated around the head of the dozing blond shinobi, alighting softly on the peak of his nose. It batted its wings a few times, happily enjoying its new perch, dodging the small swipes his sleeping frame used to bat away the small annoyance. He finally opened his eyes, grimly acknowledging that the insect was there to stay.

It took flight again, it's iridescent orange wings and blue swirling patterns melded into the atmosphere like the muffled footsteps from outside the door he was propped against. The butterfly landed again, this time on one of the longer strands of hair peaking out over his eyes, giving him time to reflect on it.

_You're a lot like me, little guy_ He smiled at the creature, _Doing anything for that attention, huh?_

"Well, _I_ won't ignore ya" He sat up, letting the insect perch on his index finger. Naruto's ears perked up slightly, and he sniffed the air tentatively. Seeming satisfied, he went back to focusing on the butterfly that was now slightly anxious.

"Talking to insects now, huh dobe?" A voice reverberated from a farther area of the house.

"When the insect strikes my interest," Naruto responded coolly.

Sasuke looked on dispassionately, clearly not in the mood for word play.

"How are you doing, teme?" He continued.

Sasuke sat down across from Naruto, his onyx eyes obscured slightly by his dark bangs.

"You want a drink?" Naruto pressed onwards, always one for conversation.

"Do I look like I came here to share a drink with an old comerade?" Sasuke growled.

Naruto grinned ear to ear, rubbing his neck abashedly. There was a mysteriously guilty tension in the room, and a palpable silence that was muffling any of the commonplace summer noises that could have leaked through the cracks betwixt the windows or door. Though it was uncomfortable, neither was willing to let on that they were anything but purely confident…

"I guess I wouldn't know," Naruto laughed, "The only looks I know from you are 'I'm going to kill you,' or 'Why aren't you dead?' "

"When I go to court, I think I'll attribute that to the curse seal," Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah, aren't loopholes fantastic." Naruto chucked bitterly, tasting Sasuke's betrayal in every word.

Sasuke breathed deeply, his façade of serenity slowly fading away.

"It's true, though." He got up, his features for the first time showing the struggle he had been dealing with through the years. "It was like having a poison in your mind. Another conscience that really wasn't a conscience at all…"

Stricken, Naruto nodded dumbly.

_Is he…apologizing?_

"You don't understand I guess," Sasuke murmured, "but at least I can say I tried."

With that, he turned to go, his long white robes sweeping the floor gracefully.

"Teme," Naruto growled, stopping the Uchiha dead in his tracks. "Even when you try to show me a little respect you end up being a jerk.Just assuming I don't understand…" He trailed off angrily, "I have a demon swimming around my mind, telling me all the things I should do. Every time I sleep it's another battle with the Kitsune, it gets so tiresome that sometimes I just don't go to sleep. Instead, I'll go to the roof and watch Konoha, because even if I never get to be Hokage I'll sure as hell act like one."

Sasuke closed his eyes, enjoying the mild conflict that held them so close. As hard as it was for him to admit it, he held no one closer to himself than the blond sitting in front of him.

"Are you going to be there?" He asked, snapping out of his reverie.

"Where?"

"The trial…" Sasuke frowned at the thought. "arguing whether what I did was treason or unwilling."

Naruto took a moment to pretend to ponder, his eyes sparkling in the midday sun streaming through the window.

"Of course!" He said at last, grinning. "I'm always here for you, teme"

Sasuke was at the door now, facing the street with a rigid determination to not give up hope of retaining his sanity and his life. He turned his head and smiled lightly, taking one last look at his friend and muttering a light thanks. In a small burst of smoke, he was gone, lost in the crowded streets of Konoha.

The sun drifted merrily in the sky, stopping for no one in it's lofty descent. The azure pavilion melted to violet and gold, leaving Naruto to tend to his thoughts like a gardener in a field of weeds. It wasn't easy…

Sakura, on the other hand, found herself on the side of town opposite of where she felt she should be, flustered thoughts of love creeping in her head every so often only to be shaken away by another call for help. Life was frantic in a hospital, and as one of the more experienced medics, she found herself in the unhappy but necessary position of being on call rather frequently. Deciding to take her evening coffee break, she propped herself on the window to watch sun-stricken clouds burn away in the dusk and consider what she had on her plate.

Now, Sakura didn't like to consider herself jumpy when it came to decisions in something as important as love; her childhood infatuation for Sasuke had grown in his absence, though into what was the problem she faced.

_It's just so hard to just switch from being head over heels for him to…teammates. I can't…just do that. Make decisions of love in a day…_

**Yeah, but you sure can make decisions of hate.**

_What…?_

**You've hated Naruto since…day one. Before day one, actually, if you consider how much your parents hated him!**

_Yeah, but he was annoying! Always in the way, trying to stop me from getting together with Sasuke-kun…right?_

**You're making excuses.**

_God, I know I am. I _know_. But isn't that what I'm always doing? Second guessing myself until I'm only comfortable being in 'love' with someone I haven't seen? That person who, on a semi-regular basis, stabs his electrically charged hand into one of my best friend's chest, even though most of the time…it's aimed at me._

A light crash behind her broke her mild stupor, almost sending her toppling over the ledge. She turned around swiftly and saw Sasuke stumbling slightly into the room in complete exhaustion. She knew that his condition was far more serious than he made it out to be, but he, like Naruto, had a knack for being obscenely stubborn.

"Sasuke, get back to bed _now_." She stressed, cracking her knuckles menacingly. He glared up at her, clearly unafraid. "_Sasuke_" she repeated, dire threats hiding behind each syllable.

His eyes softened lightly as he relented, understanding that maybe her medical knowledge could be beneficiary.

"You should probably go and see Naruto…" He groaned, struggling to his bed without her aid.

She nodded, planning to regardless of whether or not he thought it was a good idea. "Yeah, I need to check up on him."

"I'm sure that's _exactly_ why you're going to check up on him." He chuckled, lying back in his bed, a clear bottle of water resting idly in his moist hands. It was a welcome addition in the poorly conditioned room. His eyes darted towards her, serenity exuding with a hint of smugness; A common picture for him a few years ago, but one rare enough now to warrant a smile from Sakura.

She decided that smiling at that wasn't quite prudent, however, and quickly changed her face to a glare hoping he wouldn't notice. She walked out, throwing a curt good-bye his way before entirely exiting.

_There's hope for her yet…_ Sasuke shrugged, lying back, _Though I suppose with the way she's treated him before, I couldn't care less how it turns out_.

He knew it was a lie, though he also knew he would never admit that aloud. Contented, he smirked as his mind slowly slipped into a comforting daze.

--

A meteor dashed across the inky pavilion hanging above the ground like a massive mobile, as a scarlet ibis floating across the sky like a crimson kite attached to a carefree string of Konoha's hopes and dreams. The air was warm and thick, the slight overbearing tone shaded by the darkness of a moonless night. It was the curious kind of summer evening that left shadows constantly playing across the dim light offered by lanterns hidden amidst the thin fog; imaginations easily ran rampant in the slightly mystical atmosphere, forcing the population indoors as the night took its toll on the stilled village.

Sakura walked into her complex tepidly, not sure if Naruto was asleep. She padded lightly up the stairs, and, upon hearing gentle snores, opened up the door as quietly as she could manage. A light squeak, and the boy was up and alert in milliseconds, leaving Sakura cursing her clumsiness.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun…" She looked down, embarrassed.

Naruto cleared his throat, shaking his head to get the blood flow normal again. His vision slightly blurred, he rubbed his temples trying to get an adequate response to come…

"No worries, Sakura-chan," He said after a moment of thought, "I was totally up anyway." He grinned, his pearly teeth the only visible thing in the dark room. It shocked her how remarkably un-feral his grin seemed whenever it was directed at her, comparatively to the rather primordial smirks he offers his enemies or rivals. Sakura decided that she liked the smile he gave her…

"Suuuure," She smiled, walking towards him lithly, "that explains why you were lying down, in the dark, without a sound except a few snores, right?"

He looked up at her, a smile dancing in his eyes with the grin playing on his lips, nodding fervently. She sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder and sighing dramatically.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" She turned to him, her viridian eyes slightly downcast.

"Fine, Sakura-chan" He gave her a small thumbs up, "why wouldn't I be?"

"You tell me," she chuckled, combing her fingers through his dusty yellow locks. "I heard you were a little tired, earlier…" She continued, trying to coax him into revealing his true condition.

Lost in the moment, Naruto lazily acknowledged that he was a bit fatigued, going no further. Satisfied, Sakura continued her gentle ministrations while humming a tune she recalled from her distant childhood, some ancient melody called forth from the crib.

"I'm sorry, you know" Sakura murmured after a time.

Naruto glanced up at her questioningly, slightly confused at the statement. After all, in _his_ eyes, Sakura couldn't be at fault…

"For what, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura gently took her head off of his shoulder, breathing in the stagnant air before her response.

"For a lot of things, I guess…" She trailed off, mentally counting off all the wrongdoings she had committed towards Naruto. It was a long list, though not one she cared to annunciate

"You know you never need to apologize to me," He stretched broadly, deciding to change the subject "Yawn What time is it?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders noncommittally, lying down on the cold hardwood floor. Her shock of pink hair lay in a sunlike pattern all around her head, an almost ethereal glow permeating from the rosette strands reflecting the dim starlight. He couldn't help but steal a glance, if for but a single moment.

"It's a nice night," She murmured offhandedly, her gaze drifting past the windows.

"Yeah, it really is" Naruto smirked, standing up.

"Going somewhere?" Sakura questioned, still lying down.

"Yeah, I want a better view of this 'nice night' "

"You could always go to the roof…" Sakura trailed off, glancing to the stairs.

"I _could_, but I have somewhere better in mind…" He walked over to her, extending his hand down, "You want to come with me?"

"Mm…" Sakura's eyes rolled up in thought, "Yeah…sounds good." She smiled, putting extravagant effort to show how hard it was to get up from her relaxed position. Once up, she dusted herself off dutifully and walked to the coat racket timidly, fetching a rather old looking leather jacket. Draping it about her shoulders loosely, she rubbed her shoulders for a light protection against the nighttime summer chills.

"Sakura, we're not even outside yet and you're cold!" He laughed, walking towards her, "here…" He took off her jacket and replaced it with his, the inside lined with protective padding which provided adequate insulation.

"Thanks…"

**He's so caring, Shannaro!**

She offered him a smile and the two walked into the darkness. The streets were lined with houses and dimly lit stores, a thin mist carpeting the dusty streets, a peace augmented with the sparse sounds of chirping crickets. The shinobi villages were rarely prone to such times of peace, so when the opportunity arose to exult in a brief respite, few passed up the chance…

However, the village's namesake (namely, the forest surrounding it,) managed to prove itself the antithesis of the village hidden within it. The undergrowth was thick and winding, false bearings could easily bring about the loss of direction and subsequently…a loss of life. The shinobi and kunoichi traversed delicately and adroitly, a cacophony of forest noise polluting their ears and yet…strangely it provided an innate tranquility. There is something about the forest that attracts those who were born inside the alcove of Konoha, and, though no one could prove it, perhaps it was what brought these two there.

Furthermore, the moon had broken free of the clouds that previously bound it, and in the struggle had seemingly burst open, dripping silver light on the busy forest and illuminating the grassy outcrop in which the pair was now sitting.

"Is this where you wanted to go, Naruto?" Sakura perused, slightly crestfallen.

"Hmm?" Naruto shook his head and rubbed some sleep from his eyes. "Nah, I just wanted to rest for a bit" He grinned.

"Lazy bum" Sakura muttered, lying down in the grass. "All I can see is tree!" She laughed, "Not very good for stargazing."

"Alright, alright, let's get going." Naruto rose to his knees, groaning audibly.

Sakura nodded, getting up silently. "Where is this place, huh?"

"Heh, you'll find out."

He started walking again, Sakura catching up in a few moments; shivering slightly, she pulled his jacket closer around her, finding herself enjoying the scent.

_Ramen…_

"It's getting a bit cold," Naruto stated nonchalantly, obviously not feeling it.

"Yeah…" Sakura concluded, noting the tension that had grown between them.

_I don't like this…why is it all so tense? I have to break this damn silence!_

"Sasuke-kun's trial is going to be soon," Sakura frowned grimly, biting her lip.

_She looks so cute like that…_

"Yeah, and I'm going to be there to back the teme up." He flashed her a thumb's up, "You're going to be there too, right?"

"Of course," She sniffed, what are friends for?"

"For sharing the ramen cost, of course!" He smirked, dodging the little swipe she threw at him. It was a gentle swat, but still, a gentle swat from Sakura could still send one into a tree at velocities generally undesired.

And that easily, the tension deflated like a punctured balloon, zipping off into the distance. Naruto pointed into a gap in the underbrush towards some indiscriminant monolithic object.

"That's what I wanted to come to" He laughed, "I doubted I would find it again!"

"What _is_ it?" Sakura questioned, still unable to make it out clearly.

"A rock, duh." He answered matter-of-factly, "what else?"

Clearing the bushes, the object was now clearly defined. It was a slab of stone, a rose-ish brick hue swirled with a minty grey, though it wasn't the color which fascinated the shinobi. It was the position…located in the middle of a shimmering field of yellow-gold clover with no trees to obscure the deep blanket of sky above them.

With a great leap, he landed atop the massive stone, lying down on his back. He flinched at the cool temperature of the rock, but gently accustomed himself to it, finally turning his gaze skyward. Sakura followed suit, shivering at the rock's touch.

"Sakura, don't tell me you're still cold…" He admonished, realizing under the jacket all she had was her red tank-top. He wrapped his arms behind her head, around her shoulders, trying to get some of his body heat into her.

_She's…not killing me. Wow!_

"It's…gorgeous…" She breathed, mouth agape.

Naruto's eyes flicked back to her startled face, and he nodded in silent agreement. Really…it was.

**--fin--**

Wow. That was a long time in the making, filled to the brim with a heaping portion of not knowing what the hell I was doing. Next chapter will probably be last, followed by a hypothetical epilogue. Stay tuned though, I have some ideas going around for a few good one shots and another chaptered story, perhaps a sequel to this…

Cheers,

FallArbor


	7. Chapter 6: Tangled Webs

Well guys, I've read the influx of reviews relating to the newest chapter and I suppose I didn't quite meet the standards I set so highly on myself. To answer the question about whether or not the repetition was a joke, I'd just like to say I'm glad someone caught it

I know that it's been a long time, and I know that I don't deserve to even be a writer, but gosh, I have been doing so much writing that _isn't_ fanfiction(gasp) that I just…kind of shunted this aside. Sorry…

And to explain why my story is so strange…

I tried to make the characters realistic, which, in essence, just makes them seem more farfetched. I'm 15 years old, surrounded by some of the craziest 'love' affairs I've seen in my life, (which is, albeit, short), and in my experience human nature is much more enigmatic than is seen in some romance stories. People just don't say "I love you," and get an "I love you too," in response unless there is some extreme prelude to that. Most of the time it's gradual, and I tried to leave the characters as normal as possible considering this. Sakura has been slightly more wishy-washy because I'm having her act in a very mild way as she did to Sasuke. The only reason it might not seem like that is she rarely has to deal with rejection from Naruto, as he would basically do anything for her. And as for the lack of bitterness, I feel like Naruto is quick to forgive, mostly because he rarely sees a reason to be angry at his friends. She left him for a good reason, and he wasn't exactly in a clear state of mind at the time anyway. As for his thoughts at the end about her not killing him…that was mostly dry sarcasm, a little thing to keep him down to earth while they were out there together. No one likes to get too caught up in a moment that could turn out to be nothing…

So….on with the story.

--Chapter 6

It was a gray and listless morning, a dull stagnancy drawing all of Konoha to humid standstill; shops remained empty and the streets unpopulated. Sakura's apartment sagged under the heavy air, and Naruto was having a difficult time keeping his eyes open even after his customary 12 hours of rest, blearily trying to rub the sleep away. Sitting up, he sniffed tentatively, a bitter and earthy aroma clouding his mind.

_Coffee…up…wake…_

Clearly inebriated by circumstance, he wandered out, following his nose. Left…forward…straight….

Sakura stood in front of him, busying herself around a rather large coffee pot while simultaneously swatting a June bug that had meandered into the kitchen, following the same lazy pattern Naruto seemed to be taking. As preoccupied as she was, Naruto still managed to catch her attention, if only because his morning garb was consisted primarily of orange.

"Ohayou" She voiced softly, her tone barely audible over the clinks and clatters of the morning routine. It was a light greeting, blissfully free of any emotional overtones for Naruto to overlook.

"Mhmm" Naruto nodded, too tired to reply with anything more than a grunt. Pulling out the seat, he collapsed tiredly on the chair, resting his head on the table. Sakura noticed this, and chuckled lightly as she sat down across from him and handed the tired ninja a steaming mug.

He took a deep swig, ignoring the burning as the scalding liquid passed down his throat.

"Arigatou, Sakura-chan" He smiled, stretching broadly.

"It was the least I could do, keeping you out there so late."

Naruto nodded sagely, "That's certainly true!"

She swatted him on the head, spilling some coffee on the dimly polished floor.

"Ehhh! Whydja do that, huh?" Naruto pouted, rubbing his head fervently.

"Baka…" She rose, fetching her spare napkins and dabbing them on the spill.

The routine was sinfully ordinary, an indulgence that could rarely be enjoyed for people in their line of work.

"Sasuke's hearing is today, you know" Naruto grimaced at the thought, though he had to voice it aloud.

"Mmmhm…" She bit her lip, and Naruto still couldn't help but wonder how adorable she could be regardless of the situation. "And we're both going to be there to support him."

Naruto glanced at the gently ticking clock on the wall behind him, and frowned again. He seemed to be doing that a lot, lately.

"Twelve-thirty, I haven't slept this late in a long time," He mused openly, smirking in Sakura's direction.

"I already apologized, baka!" She leapt at him as he backflipped from his chair onto the hard linoleum, and, as per his usual clumsiness, he slipped on the spill he had made only minutes before.

With a swift whoosh and a hard crack, he found himself staring at the ceiling with a mixture of remorse, amusement, and slight head pain. In a moment, she was standing over him, smugness dripping from her venomous smile.

"I scared you into a puddle, Naruto," She smirked, "Not very manly of you."

With that, she reached down and ripped him from the floor, an act akin to the sickening wrenching off of skin from warm leather.

"Balanced yet, baka?"

He nodded an embarrassed yes and leaned against the wall, staring at the clock yet again.

"Two hours," She stated, reading his mind.

"I wonder how it's going to go," He responded after a moment, playing all the scenarios over and over in his head.

She nodded, her face blank.

The pair sat in mutual silence and pondering, wondering about the future though apprehensive about its arrival, knowing about their blissful ignorance and also about the depressing brevity that lives alongside it. Alas, the future, pregnant with such irreproachable trouble was nearing with the speed that only time is capable of reaching. Wanting and not wanting something like a layperson craving chocolate but knowing how dangerously unhealthy all the good things in life are.

"Yeah, I'm bored." Naruto broke the silence, never letting depression sink its ivory claws in.

"That's a shock," Sakura laughed sarcastically, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door into the rather empty streets, save for the sparse tumbleweed plastic bags and the occasional harried passerby. "Let's do something, then."

--

The fifth Hokage never enjoyed the village's judicial processes. Long, tedious, and altogether just a chore, it was something far more suited to her assistant or the council rather than herself. Unfortunately, with matters such as high treason, it was almost ceremonial the way they dumped all the paperwork on her. Luckily for the shinobi being tried, while Sasuke was being held under extreme guard, he was, for the time being, out of prison – the reason behind this was the fear if he were put in even a maximum security fortress, he'd still cause too much havoc with his bloodline.

The shocker in this scenario was the lack of fight the Uchiha remnant put up. Sans curse seal, the boy was rather compliant, and much to the chagrin to the prison-happy council, it was helping his case considerably. Their defense, however, was still ironclad: He always was a good actor.

Tsunade pounded her desk with slightly more force than she intended to use, leaning back in her chair to avoid gazing at the piles of work still unfinished, perhaps through constant ignoring they might just disappear.

She glanced back.

Nope.

--

"Oh boy…a photo album," Naruto's eyes glazed over in anticipation of boredom, silently wishing for time to fold over on itself.

"Oh yes," Sakura absorbed his glumness, morphing it into an almost sickening glee on her part, "A photo album!"

Leatherbound blue, fraying gold paint lacing the sides and cover florally, nice, but somewhat boring for a man who enjoyed action much more than the stagnant stills of photographs. It represented all that he despised, a composite of the past malformed into sour rectangles of regret.

"Oh don't seem so blue," She continued teasingly, "I have some pretty good pictures in here."

"Right…"

"You doubt me?" she growled gutturally, knuckles cracking loudly In her palm.

"No, nononono, here!" He grabbed the book from her swiftly and opened, "That's….uhh…" he trailed off, an older woman staring blankly at him from the musty page.

"A photograph of my mother, baka…" She sighed, flipping further along. "I have the pictures of team 7 at the _end_."

The glossy photos gleamed in the pale sunlight, and Naruto couldn't help but despair over the static images' discord with reality – the smiles too forgotten, unheard laughter latching against fake window borders, and that unavoidable hubris that comes with knowing the future and being unable to do anything about it.

But _she_ liked it, perhaps because of the idea that the past might be prologue, so she smiled, and he laughed, because that's what he did and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Time, however, had different plans.

--

Sakura wasn't sure if she liked the whole situation's similarity to lightning. One moment, she was laughing at a particularly embarrassing picture of Naruto, and the next, she was blinded by extremely lavish oak paneling.

The proceedings were alien to her, foreign and altogether unpleasant. There were no prosecutors or defense lawyers, just old men silently waiting for something incriminating to happen.

"Uchiha Sasuke…" the name was spat with such contempt that even Tsunade flinched slightly. "You have told us you plead insanity?"

He grunted in the affirmative, and closed his eyes. Verdicts are easy to accept when the conclusion is so forgone.

Naruto was, for once, still and silent; he was curbing her anger, visibly, shaking and clenching his fists.

He had to turn away.

"It'll work out, Naruto," even before she spoke the words, her mind registered how strange it was that _she_, the complainer¸ stole the role of consoler.

His gaze traveled down, away from guilty faces and the responsibility of a longtime friend.

"Yeah…" His eyes glanced back to hers, "Yeah."

The sound of hushed allegations snapped the two back to attention, and the room seemed eerily quiet. Nearly half the village attended, which struck her as remarkable; why on earth would all these people come to see a total stranger, the last remnant of a broken clan, be tried. His actions were not _against_ the village per se, but the bloodlust was palpable. These people wanted _revenge_ against anyone, and he was the devil's advocate.

"Uzumaki Naruto, your statement?" an older man wheezed, pointing a gravely finger towards the blond shinobi.

"What?" He stood up.

"Your testimony, boy!" he rasped, beckoning him.

Naruto's eyes crossed Sasuke's, and for an instant, he could have sworn there was a grim smile nestled in the deep granite.

Naruto glanced back at her and smiled, small, but poignant. He sauntered forth a tad bit wary, but mostly confused; what was there to say?

"This is all Orochimaru's fault!" He pointed vaguely in futility.

"Yes yes, we heard that ridiculous story from the Godaime herself. We need evidence, boy, not this circumstantial name-throwing," He smiled now, calmly, and continued, "that is, of course, if you have any evidence."

Naruto sighed, and marched haughtily towards Sasuke.

"Evidence? Look at his neck, for kami's sake. He has a cursed seal, just like Anko-san's." He sighed, and rubbed his head. "Teme" he whispered, "show them your curse mark!"

The Uchiha frowned and tilted his head forward, giving the council a good look at the black smudge inked darkly into his skin. It was smeared by the kitsune's corrosive chakra, but still, visible to a fault.

"We know about the curse mark, but what does that have to do with insanity?" another from the council remarked, shaking his head. "Anko-san came _back_ to us; clearly she isn't insane."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

"That's _your_ opinion."

In the crowd, a particularly violet head of hair was twitching slightly.

"Either way, the seal is activated by the hate in someone, clearly he had more of a grudge than her!" Naruto shouted back.

"What does the chakra actually do then,?" the council persisted.

Sakura raised her hand.

"Tsunade-sama's apprentice, eh?" The eldest smirked, "what do you have to share with us.

Sakura grabbed a few blank sheets of paper from a folder beside her and pretended to read; she knew all the material, but as long as the council was certain there was something official, they'd be appeased. Ninja trickery at it's finest.

She cleared her throat.

"Calling it independent chakra is an often made mistake," She began, taking a deep breath, "as it is really just the will of Orochimaru _inside_ the victim. It draws from the innate chakra reserves and forces the flow to open up exponentially. It's corrosive, and causes many organs to eventually fail…as well as having averse affects on the brain."

The wizened ears of the council perked slightly at this, some angry, others pleased.

"Continue…" the leader motioned with his hand.

She nodded, stealing a glance at Sasuke before returning his gaze.

"It acts as a selective memory, choosing to exemplify some emotions and…drown out others. It eventually acted as a symbiotic organism, attacking each cell individually; We only recently found a way to get rid of it." She smiled, knowingly, "he was controlled by Orochimaru even after his demise, simply because his chakra lived on inside of Sasuke."

A stagnant pause filled the room.

"Is that all?"

She nodded.

"Okay," he breathed, "Is there any other defense?"

No one replied.

"We will reach a decision within five hours, until then, adjourned…"

--

Sasuke was dragged unceremoniously back to his cell, followed by nearly the rest of the court. Naruto remained motionless, staring hard at his mahogany desk with anger dangerously close to tears resting in the corners of his eyes.

Sakura sighed, watching him intently.

"Naruto…"

"It wasn't good enough."

"It was all we h—"

"It wasn't good enough!" he cut her off. "The council is thirsty for blood, and we just gave them some!"

She sat adjacent from him, meeting his glare with her own stony jade eyes.

"At least now they can't kill him!" She nearly shouted, "aren't you at least thankful for that?!"

He averted his gaze.

"I should have said more. I…"

"Stop beating yourself up! There was nothing you could do, _baka_!" She lifted his chin to meet her stare. "And just be happy that you helped your brother when he needed it most. With Tsunade backing us…we will win this."

He couldn't help but laugh,

"I thought it was my job to cheer you up."

"Today is a weird day," she smiled, hoisting him up and leading him out of the room.

--

Sakura's mind was a literal whirlwind. Worry, fear, regret, hope flashed through her thoughts as she tried her hardest to _not_ think about the outcome of the trial. For Naruto's sake. For her sake. So much hinged on this single hour, number four, since they left the court – The future was to be set in stone by old men with a grudge. Her hope, her soul, was being divined by the toss of a coin.

Why?

--

Tangerine tinged sunlight trickled through the glass behind the council, dropping eerie shadows across the boarded floor. A ghastly puppet show danced on the hardwood ground, and Naruto simply couldn't ignore it. There was certainly fear to be had against strong opponents, but nothing compared to the fear of the future. The clock ticked.

And tocked.

"We have reached a decision" He said, five hours and seventeen minutes since he adjourned the court.

Sakura was counting.

"We believe that, while Hokage-sama has vouched for him, and that the chakra indeed belonged to Orochimaru…" He paused, "the countless atrocities attributed to him still occurred. Someone _must_ be made example of…"

The whole room was hanging on his every word.

--

**End!**

Okay, time to explain. His punishment has yet to be decided for me. I am dreadfully tired, guilty as hell for not updating, and just all in all in a bad mood. You can input what you want for the sentence, or not...I hope you enjoyed it.


	8. Chapter 7: Solatium

This chapter got deleted twice while I was writing it – once after I had 4000 words done. I have to admit that I gave up for a while after that. But I have to finish this. I can't be one of those authors who never completes anything. And if you guys can actually understand my crazy style, you might actually like it xD. It's pretty episodic, jumping from the middle of the chapter to a flashback of the end of the trial. 

--

Chapter 7 – Solatium

_What am I doing here?_

Drops of dew danced from a blurred emerald canopy hanging loftily above, falling fitfully on his nose. 

_What happened?_

Sakura smiled bashfully down at him.

_Did we win?_

The mosaic of jade focused into big and tearful and wet eyes. Not a forest. A girl. And she was beautiful.

Always.

_How?_

Naruto wrapped his arms around the angel and prayed and finally, smiled. Because no matter what happens, happened, will happen, it was good, good, good.

No matter what.

--

His mind drifted to the courtroom. And it was very, very dark.

The wind blew the window open, and a sparrow flitted in, looking mildly disinterested. 

"But we can't afford to lose the best militant bloodline in Konoha."

Naturally.

"And because of his high-risk status, prison is not an option." The man hacked, "therefore, he will be placed under house arrest with Jounin guard until he has paid back his debt to Konoha through…appropriate means."

_What the hell does that mean?_

Sakura chanced a small glance at Naruto. He grimaced. The bird chirped.

"Excuse me," Tsunade interjected quietly, both restrained and terrifying. "Who will be the one that decides what is _appropriate_?"

He laughed.

He _laughed_.

_He doesn't have the _right _to laugh._

Sakura clenched and unclenched her fists, and a few jury members shifted uncomfortably.

"Why...we will." They smiled. _Damn them, they smiled_. "So if our Jounin bailiffs will be so kind, please escort _Uchiha-sama_ to his home."

Two ANBU padded noiselessly to the static prisoner, and he nodded to his teammates with a somnolent indifference. That's life, right? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

And there was justice in it. There's justice in everything, if you squint. But it was wrong. It was so _freaking_ wrong. Everything about it screamed of corruption and evil and everything that was just wrong wrong wrong.

--

Torpid clouds waltzed on the unsteady horizon. The Hokage didn't see it. But it was still beautiful.

She stared angrily at the memo before her.

_Hokage-sama,_

_Please inform Uchiha-sama of the following obligations he must meet._

_A donation of, but not limited to, 40,000 ryu monthly._

_Sacrifice of council vote_

_Continuation of bloodline adequately_.

_Thank you_

"Great."

She wanted to scream. To purge.

"Unless he bribes them, gives up his clan's political power, and whores himself out, he can't ever leave his house." She barked a cynical laugh and called for Shizune.

"Tsunade-sama?"

"Get me the brat and Sakura" She grunted. "please." She added. The pleasantries were afterthoughts. Always.

--

"Naruto?"

Nothing.

"Narutooooo?"

Sakura panned her surroundings. The flow of people had quelled, and there was no orange anywhere.

_Where are you…?_

She meandered through the dusty streets and watched the dust being kicked by some kids playing tag. They laughed, and she laughed, and it was nice. It was isolated and separate and different from everything she'd been experiencing. But it was nice. Because it was nice.

She walked past them and entered the Yamanaka Flower Shop, eyeing the poinsettias in the window. They were a deep crimson, and bathed the window in a violent light.

"Forehead?"

Sakura massaged her temples, averting her gaze.

"Ino."

"No pig, huh?"

She met the blonde's taciturn stare.

"Not today…"

Ino took her hand and lead her to the back. It was slightly grimy, as if fertilizer had seeped into the thin ceramic, but it smelled earthy and natural and their baser instincts of sorority felt at home.

"How are you doing, Sakura?"

----------------

----

"Not too good, man" Naruto leaned against the oak he'd been previously pounding, nursing his bloodstained knuckles. He stared at the broken skin with a morbid fascination – like torn paper, soft and smooth and staring at him with jeweled ruby eyes, falling in soft rivers back to the earth.

Ashes to ashes.

"Not too good," He repeated for dramatic effect. It wasn't very dramatic. Oh well.

"Not too good! What is wrong, Naruto-kun? You should be over the moon with excitement at this new development, with them not killing Sasuke-kun!" 

Lee gaped with wide eyes as Naruto yawned. It looked forced. 

It _was_ forced.

"I guess so."

"You guess so!" 

The spandex knight began to gesticulate wildly, and Naruto slowly tuned him out, focusing on the rustling of leaves through the pregnant trees, and the soft sunlight on his face. It was just so nice. So very, very nice.

"Naruto-san!" a familiar voice rang out.

He cracked an eye open and saw a newly appointed ANBU staring at him. Probably. He felt the stare through the pinprick eyeholes of the smallish man's ceramic mask.

"Whaddya want, scrub?" 

"Boss," he began, "The old hag wants to see you!"

"Baa-chan, huh?" 

_She probably wants me out of the village for a little bit. Let things cool down…_

"Alright, I'll get going. Take it easy, Konohamaru-kun" Naruto flicked his protégé's mask and disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

--

"Tsunade-sama?" 

The older woman looked up from her work with red eyes and a tired face, her expression muddled and betraying of her age. There was so much to do, so much to do.

"Sakura…" She sighed. Sakura felt a surge of compassion threaten to break out of her heart.

_She's too old to be putting up with all this crap_.

Her white knuckles shone like ivory in heat.

"Just be patient for a little, Naruto should be coming soon…" 

Sakura glanced at the paper her teacher was intent on reading, it was a memo regarding her successor. 

They were asking her to resign.

_The whole balance of power between the Hokage and the Council is shifting, and there's nothing she can do about it. _

Sakura watched a parallelogram of light shift on the floor, as clouds passed through the beam, distorted and chaotic in its sleepiness. 

A bird hit the window. And it fell down down down.

"What's going on?"

Neither kunoichi heard his entrance, but neither cared – electricity crackled in the air, and it permeated into their veins and made them nervous and scared and worn _out_. It was not nice.

"Both of you, sit down" Tsunade finally commanded. 

"You guys both know there're a lot of ins and outs here." She sighed and leaned back in her chair, "And you probably realize that the council was being ambiguous on purpose."

"Well yeah, it sounds like they just want to use him to launder money into their pockets!" Sakura blurted out.

Naruto just watched, remaining unusually silent.

"That's what I thought too, until they told me directly what they wanted."

Naruto laughed humorlessly.

" I doubt the council has ever said anything directly."

She tossed the memo at him. It felt heavy in his hands, as though each letter were written in lead ink that stretched endlessly past the paper.

"Oh." He said.

Sakura walked behind him and read over his shoulder.

"Oh." She said.

"The wording there is pretty funny too, if you like devastating news." Tsunade continued, "notice how they want the offspring to be born _adequately_. They want the mother to be of high standing in the village _and_ of high skill as a Shinobi"

Naruto immediately felt his stomach curl into a ball bearing.

"But that would leave…" Sakura couldn't finish it.

"They want it to be you. If you aren't the one, he doesn't get out of house arrest." Tsunade rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. It was sunny and bright, and the clouds had all but disappeared from the blue pavilion of sky. 

"That's all." 

And they had to go.

--

Naruto found himself being dragged back to the present. Sakura's eyes still hung above him like limpid green stars, brimming and wet and light, and the soft fabric of his bed kissed his back. 

_Victory always comes at a price. _

Sakura was there, in his room, on his bed, hovering over him so close close close that he swore if he opened his mouth, he'd taste her. And how he wanted to.

"I have to do it" She said, allowing herself a fresh batch of tears.

"Sakura-chan," He thumbed the tears away, and stroked her cheek softly. "It's going to be okay…"

"Okay!" She was screaming.

_Why?_

"This will ruin everything I've worked for! His homecoming is always going to be remembered by his destruction of my career and my _life_ because the council won't let him out without my genes!"

She beat his chest softly. His heart shattered with each blow. 

Bump-bump. Crash.

It was too loud. 

"Sakura-chan…you don't have to! We can find another way, the council- "

"The council doesn't care what we think! They're happy to let Sasuke waste his clan's money until he fucking _dies_."

So he did the only thing he could think of to comfort her. He pulled her in, tight and hard and forgiving, and he held her and stroked her back as she emptied herself of those painful tears.

"Shh…" he whispered. "Everything will be _alright_."

It almost was.

"Do you want to know the worst part?" She murmured after what seemed like hours.

He didn't answer. He didn't have to.

"I don't love him."

And she fell asleep. Asleep in his arms as he softly rubbed her back and told her unconscious mind that tomorrow would be a better day. Because no matter what happens, happened, will happen, he would _make it_ good, good, good.

-- 2:00 – both are sleeping, crickets chirp to an empty audience.

-- 3:00 – she hopes that the sun won't rise. It's just too nice.

-- 4:00 – He wakes to the sound of new sobs, and the feeling of fresh tears on both their faces. He tells her it will be alright.

-- 5:00 – She finally believes him. Because it _is_ him.

-----------

-----------

"But what do _you_ want?"

"It's what I've always wanted. I need to restore my clan."

Tsunade eyed Sasuke wearily, and leaned back in her chair. The room was lavish, plush chairs leaned heavily against wall-to-wall books and scrolls and pages and pages of useless knowledge. The Uchiha study.

"You know who they want, though." She leaned forward on to her hands, and sighed. "And you know how this will affect her."

He raised his eyebrow.

"And _you_ know I wouldn't force her into anything like this." He rubbed his temples softly, closing his eyes. "But…that isn't to say she isn't the…best candidate…"

The Hokage could scarcely contain herself.

Couldn't contain herself.

"Your audacity is astounding you little bastard!" She was at his throat in an instant, glaring at his passive face with alkaline venom. "Best candidate!"

"You disagree?" He choked on his words quietly, calmly, infuriatingly softly. "It's her choice, not mine." 

"It's not a choice. Both of them would do anything to get you free from the council – even that gaki Naruto would bear your kids if it were possible."

Sasuke blanched, his knuckles tightening.

"You think I _want_ this for them? They shouldn't give a shit about me now, and they're still here for me. I told you I believed she was the best candidate because she _is_. That doesn't make me excited at the prospect of ruining _both_ of their lives."

The fire in the corner crackled brazenly, and quietly simmered into embers.

The room was a shadow.

"It's the only way the council will ever be cowed. Apparently they've been jumping at the opportunity to have an empty seat that used to support your position, and you know as well as I do that the only way balance will be restored is through my release." The truth in the statement stung, but the council's flagrant abuse of their power was a greater issue than the career and emotional well being of two kids. She had to look out for the country first, and it disgusted her. It was all wrong wrong wrong.

"but if you're looking for other options, why not take a look at the council. They've been insisting pretty heavily on your retirement, if my sources are not totally inaccurate. Have you chosen anyone yet?"

"I know who I want." Her almond eyes glimmered in the soft ambiance of the hearth. "Maybe he will be able to convince the council where I can't."

"Maybe. He's persuasive."

Tsunade turned around and walked to the door, pausing at the handle. 

"You care about them. So don't hurt them again. Please."

A monotone. Grave and scared and tired and totally familiar to him. But he recognized it as an almost complete absence of hope. 

So he knew he couldn't ask Sakura to do the only thing he'd really hoped she'd do.

He could wait. Naruto could convince them. Naruto could do anything.

------

The morning was dull and listless. It sat like a lumbering giant over the rolling streets that stretched endlessly over the horizon, and cleft Konoha into a chessboard of patchwork forest and fauna.

He watched her delicate frame rise and fall with the tide of the air blowing through the crack in the window; it was soft and beautiful, and he savored her peace of mind that awakening would shatter.

"Naruto?" She whispered, softly, so softly, eyes half open in quiet contentment.

"Yeah?" He smiled down at her, a cheeky grin with a glow that she hadn't seen in a long time.

She didn't say anything. Her words were booming against the pale shades of noise echoing into the room

_Thank you. For everything. For anything._

There was a knock at the door, soft as the beat of a butterfly's wing, but present and direct and indicative of urgency. He was there before the echo finished reverberating.

"Yeah?"

A note slid under the door, grinding to a halt at his feet.

_A special summons from the Hokage_?

He walked back to the room, treading lightly on the dynamite floor. 

_Things can explode so easily nowadays. This whole thing is ridiculous._

"Sakura?"

"Mhhmm…"

"I have to go for a little bit. There's some stuff in the fridge if you're hungry, and I swear that it's not alive." He glanced back nervously. "Well, probably not."

She tossed him a dirty look before muttering a muffled okay into the pillow.

So he left.

--

The soft tap of his sandals against the hard earth clicked a steady rhythm of mild determination and wild apprehension; a calm demeanor betrayed by slight irregularities in his unsteady eyes and jittery nerves.

A bright crimson rubber ball bounced in front of his vision, and instinctively, he snatched it out of the air.

"Hey Naruto-san, pass it here!"

A smallish boy of ten or twelve leapt wildly into the air.

"He's a really good Shinobi!" Another whispered into the jumping boy's ear, rather loudly.

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. It was all so surreal – people shouting his name in the street, fans of unknown origin whispering outrageous tall tales in the heat of boredom. 

It was magic.

The Hokage's tower rising in front of him was an edifice of history; bulbous terraforms jutted from seemingly random locations like spring buds on a juniper. It was auspiciously natural and colloquially beautiful – and he knew that he would live there.

_Some day_.

He nodded to the ANBU guards and proceeded up the winding steps, a veritable wooden maze to the more luxurious parts of the modestly decorated building.

He could have gotten there blindfolded.

"Naruto!"

He jerked around coming face to face with a paper-thin woman of crass emotion and pale complexion. Bags under her eyes.

Tsunade.

"Follow me," She brushed past him brusquely and lead him into her office, taking a seat behind main desk.

_There's something wrong here…_

"What's the deal, baa-chan?"

If she heard him, she certainly didn't indicate it.

"I'm getting old, Naruto." She looked him squarely in the eyes. He felt it. The pure, undiminished _experience_. It was the crushing fatigue of years upon years upon years of existence that can drag the mightiest souls down. She couldn't resist much longer. "I'm getting really old."

"Tsunade…"

"And I have to pick someone to be my successor. Before they pick for me." She got up and faced the monument, paying silent homage to the third. "I have to show this village that the Hokage still has the power to protect them, and that means, I have to demonstrate it. I think the only way I can do that now is to pass the torch."

_What?_

"You've done really well, you know that, gaki? You've done a lot of things people said weren't possible. You've lived up to your heritage when no one even thought you were related to your own father."

"You can't be serious…"

"And people like you. I don't know why, but they _do_. Maybe you got it into their heads that you really care about them. Because I know you do." She turned around and faced him again, a confident bravado lining her taut face. "I'm going to step down tomorrow, publicly. And I'm going to have to ask you to take the position. It's not usually this short notice, but…I was pretty sure that you were going to say 'yes'"

"Tsunade…you know that I want to be Hokage. I really do. I mean…_really_. But this is absurd! You are the only one with the sort of experience that can handle – "

"The council? I can't handle them at all. I have to follow the rules, Naruto, I've been in office way too long to piss off the council and be able to stay in favor. You can do things that no one else has done before. You can take the power back from the bureaucracy."

_You can liberate your friends_. _You can liberate your _love.

"I guess I don't have a choice."

_He grinned. Thank kami he grinned._

"Damn straight you don't."

_Because that grin is going to save a lot of people_.

--

"I decided that I really just can't."

"Even if she's willing?"

"Even if she's willing."

The copy ninja crinkled an onyx eye at his former pupil.

"What brought this willingness to abandon the dream, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke could hear the smile in his voice, and envied his sensei's ability to see the light with that single eye of his. Maybe it's just a matter of perspective.

He closed one of his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Dust."

"Ah."

Apparently not.

"There are better ways of battling to the council than catering to its whims. I want to restore my clan with honor, _not_ at the bidding of crusty old men who will turn my heirs into brainwashed Root." Sasuke panned the room's page lined walls, "And there are worse fates than being lost here. I never read most of these."

"Well" Kakashi sighed, "It's probably going to be fine," the Cyclops stood, stowing his Icha Icha Paradise in his pocket.

"Why're you so optimistic?"

"Why not be?"

And he was gone.

--

--

"The bastard lied" Sakura groaned, rubbing her eyes tentatively.

A spoiled container of milk sat, literally, gelled to the side of the refrigerator by a slightly pulsating green mesh of mold and mildew.

_Yum._

She shut it quickly, opting for a lighter breakfast of coffee and air. She looked inside the coffee jar.

Maybe just air.

The soft sound of children playing in the street tethered her to the window with an invisible tangent of consciousness – their laughs were her laughs, and, for a moment, her joy.

Freedom.

Emancipation.

And Crashing back into earth.

Would she do it today?

Did she have a choice?

_Fucking Naruto_. _What are you doing to me? I would have jumped at this chance, you orange freak._

A slight creak interrupted her thoughts – an intruder. Enemy?

Probably not.

_Naruto._

"Sakura-chan?"

_Naruto…_

"Ohayou, Naruto" She called from the kitchen.

His expression upon entering was enigmatic – his softly drawn face was taut with worry and thought, and she couldn't help but feel so lost, lost, lost with him.

"What's wrong?"

_Wrong?_

"Nothing." He stated plainly. "Nothing is wrong right now. In fact," his face lit up as he walked towards her, "I don't think it's ever been better."

And he hugged her. Bone crushing. And it was pure and clean and very, very nice. He liked it too. 

"She wants me to be the next Hokage" He murmured into her ear.

"What!"

And for another second,

Or maybe it was an eternity,

It was good. Because he made it good.

--

--

"It's almost time, Shizune…" 

The sun glowed ethereally over the fiery horizon, charred black into silhouette by the granite dripping shadows falling languidly over the village.

"Tomorrow." She smiled. "Tomorrow."

--

--

"So she finally told him, huh?" 

"Yeah…"

Sakura focused on the threadbare carpet, soft and wooly and warm in the evening heat. 

_What am I doing here?_

Sasuke remained silent.

"You know what they want me to do, right?" Sakura began quickly. "What has to happen for you to ever be set free?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"And no, you don't have to." He spoke quietly, "I deserve my incarceration."

There was a deep, deep, void between them; it sucked up every conscious thought, and threatened to crush the room into oblivion unless someone broke the silence.

"But I'd like it if you did."

_What?_

"Sasuke…"

_Is he…_

"You're a competent woman, Sakura. And I can see – "

And she knew she couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke."

He smiled ruefully, small and alien on his face. Fleeting like a snowstorm in autumn.

"Me too."

And he was.

--

--

Naruto found himself on top of his apartment building, warming in the glow of the setting sun – a statuette of shade in a sea of color.

_Hokage_.

A dream come true. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

"What're you doing back here, y'old perv?"

"Stalking my former students, like always."

"It's good to hear your voice, Kakashi."

Naruto back flipped atop the ledge Kakashi was perched on, looking pensive and tired.

"Are you excited?"

"You know?"

"A lot of us do. Or at least expected it."

"I'm flattered." Naruto smiled cheekily at him.

"You should be, these are talented ANBU we're talking about here."

"Oh? I thought we were talking about you." 

He dodged a swipe at his arm.

"You'll have to be slightly more respectful when you're actually Hokage, Naruto."

_Wow…_

It sounded infinitely more real when someone else said it so plainly. 

Hokage.

It wasn't a dream anymore.

"I'm told I'll have to be a lot of things."

"Do you plan on it?"

"The plans of the council rarely coincide with what's best for the village anymore."

"And you think you can change that?"

Naruto grinned again, teeth pearly opalescent against the nearly set sun's twilight sky.

"I know I can."

--

--

And it was morning. Glorious, Glorious morning.

Idle chatter rose in bubbles from the streets, gossip of a village meeting, some large announcement. News.

Big news.

People flooded from their homes like sheep from pens, walking, meandering really, to the rather large stage that had been erected in the witching hour of the night. 

_The council didn't announce this._

_What's going on?_

It was a picturesque scene of revolution – certainly not harmonious with the classic picture of hostile take over. Subterfuge, at its finest, is both beautiful and terrifying.

The dawn of a new era would start with a wooden stage and a single man.

She hoped. He hoped.

They hoped.

It was Emancipation.

"Citizens of Konoha," Tsunade boomed through a chakra enhanced microphone, "My sun is setting. I've been battling long and hard for this village, and…I believe it's time I picked a successor. Someone who can protect you all like I should be able to. Someone strong enough to shield this village because he knows that it's more important than anything else in the world. Someone that will be fair. Fair to the people who deserve it. Fair to the people who _don't_."

She paused for a breath, nodding towards Naruto.

"And I have come to a decision. His name is one you should all know. His heritage is one you should all know. He is Uzumaki Naruto."

Shuttered murmurs blasted through the crowd like waves at a rocky shoreline. Eroding and hushed and powerful.

"Son of the Yondaime. Student of the Toad Sannin. Former ANBU commander. And, if you agree, the next Hokage." She smiled widely, as Naruto stood beside her trying not to look too foolish. "Tell me, did I choose right?"

The cheer was enormous.

Apparently she did.

--

End

--

Ehh guys, I restarted this on Sunday, and look at this, now it's Tuesday afternoon. Fantastic! I hope you fellows like this, I worked pretty hard on it, and I tried to put some modern style into it. It's…different, I suppose.

Cheers,

FallArbor


	9. Epilogue

I wrote three different chapters for this, and was satisfied with none – I knew I needed to tie up my loose ends, but realized that drawing it out would be…boring

I wrote three different chapters for this, and was satisfied with none – I knew I needed to tie up my loose ends, but realized that drawing it out would be…boring. It would lose the spark I've tried to maintain for the whole story, and I couldn't live with that. So, it's small, and weak, and not nearly worth the time I took to write it. The fact is, I should have tacked this on to the last chapter and let it go from there. But here it is, a baby chapter that no one needs.

* * *

--Epilogue--

"You know, baa-chan was wrong about the paperwork." Naruto peered out from under his hat, eyeing his visitor with a mix of humor and fatigue. "It's not really that bad, after the first few hours."

Sakura rolled her eyes and swung around to his side of the desk, watching his slightly dried out pen scratch across various scrolls.

She smacked him on the head.

"Naruto, you baka, is that Shishou?!"

On the desk was a large doodle of what appeared to be an enormous set of breasts in front of a stick figure with long hair. The Hokage swatted her away lightly.

"This is official paperwork, you shouldn't be reading over my shoulder."

"Reading?!"

"Spying!" he retaliated, "Maybe you're working for the Mizukage. Or even…well…everyone knows about your little fling with the Raikage."

"…you mean when I killed him?"

"Well, before that!"

"Naruto, it was my freaking assignment to seduce him!"

"Details, details." He nodded sagely and returned to his doodle.

Sakura's eye twitched as she cracked her knuckles.

"But hey," he continued, "I've always had a thing for dangerous women anyway."

Sakura arched her eybrow, leaning over to support herself on his desk.

"Dangerous _women_, huh?"

He looked up quickly, the blood quickly draining out of his face.

"No! No, you misheard me. I said dangerous _woman_. Because…heh…there's only one woman in my–"

And he was out the window, propelled by a slightly jealous punch. Sighing, she leapt after him, diving through the air to catch up with him. Not many villagers were unsurprised by the antics of their…unorthodox new leader.

"Sakura-chan," his words, horribly mangled by the roaring wind around them, still reached her ears, "we have to think of new ways to express ourselves than with your fists."

She began to glow vibrantly like a tomato.

"HENTAI"

And for the second time that minute, he felt himself being rocketed away by her fists.

"I didn't mean it like that!" his words faded into the distance as he plummeted into the forest canopy slightly outside the village.

"Oh."

--

Upon finding him quite alright, sitting in a tree and talking to squirrels, her guilt subsided.

"You're such a drama queen." She started.

"Meh," he waved her away dismissively, "Maybe I just know how to take a punch."

"Any good Hokage should."

He leapt off the branch, landing soundly next to her with nary a sound to signify it.

"And I'm a good Hokage?"

"If you weren't, I wouldn't be in love with you."

He looked slightly stricken.

"Really?!"

She smiled, winking at him.

"No. But I wouldn't have as good an excuse at family reunions."

And she kissed him.

—end—

* * *

It's…over. I'm sorry guys, I know it's probably not what you wanted, if you're even still reading it. It's the only thing that fit in my head, both of my other chapters were long and drawn out. This one just made sense…

Until my next story,

FallArbor


End file.
